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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22549726">eye to eye</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeroplaneseok/pseuds/aeroplaneseok'>aeroplaneseok</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerhairclips/pseuds/flowerhairclips'>flowerhairclips</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band), WayV (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Anal Sex, Confessions, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, Light Angst, M/M, Marijuana, Mark has a Big Dick, Masturbation, Oral Fixation, Rap Battles, Recreational Drug Use, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Soft sex, but also taeyong gets plowed oop, semi-public making out, yes they're bfs now :D</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 15:55:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>34,562</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22549726</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeroplaneseok/pseuds/aeroplaneseok, https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerhairclips/pseuds/flowerhairclips</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mark and Taeyong - well known as rivals in the underground rap community for the past 2 years. For the entire time that they've both know each other, they can count on one hand the times they've had "civil" interactions. </p><p>However, for two people who are supposed to hate each other, they sure can't seem to stop writing verses about each other's eyes...and lips...and a whole lot of other things as well.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Qian Kun, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Mark Lee/Lee Taeyong, Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>264</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>PLEASE READ: this is a joint fic by me (ash aka glitterjungwoo) and my best friend Bea (aka aeroplaneseok) ! The past several months have been amazing and we both hope that you all appreciate our child as much as we do !</p><p>Anything from Mark's POV has been written by Bea and anything from Taeyong's POV was written by me. The exact number of chapters will be updated once the fic is 100% complete, but we do have at least 11 chapters down for sure. New chapters will be uploaded every Monday! </p><p>REGARDING RECREATIONAL DRUG USE: Taeyong, Ten, Kun, and eventually Mark will be written smoking marijuana, any chapter involving that will have prior warnings in the notes so keep on the lookout for that if you find this type of content uncomfortable for you. We both did our best to write the safest ways to use marijuana recreationally. Just like alcohol, you should not drive while under the influence and keep yourself and your friends safe. Most mentions of marijuana will be during Taeyong's POV. As mentioned before, Bea and I have done our best to make sure all characters are acting responsibly and in ways that are the safest as we both know that anyone will have access to this fic.</p><p>You can find the both of us on twitter! </p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/><a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Mark joined the underground rap scene he was a bored 18 year old fresh out of high school with no real plans or goals, only a small passion for music and songwriting. He worked part-time at a local fast food restaurant, spending most of his time off watching performances and trying out in the patronizingly named “Newbies Night”, just to do </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> other than rot on the couch at his parent’s house. The new experience certainly toughened him up, he opened himself up to a lot of criticism by being in the spotlight, and the insanely competitive nature of the whole scene scared him a little at first, but by age nineteen Mark was perfectly comfortable on stage. He’d made some good friends, had plenty of ego-tripping wins and a fair few crushing losses, but ultimately he loved the underground rap community and it was his main source of happiness. That is, until he formed the very type of rivalry he’d tried so hard to avoid with a slender twinky guy who called himself TY - he pissed Mark off more than he ever thought possible. Now, Mark at the age of 20, their rivalry was famous throughout the Seoul underground scene, with people flocking from every district to watch the two claw at each other’s throats every Friday night. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At 10:30pm every week at the Neo Tech club, there was an opportunity for the two top performers to face each other in a freestyle, and nothing was off-limits. Ever since Taeyong moved to the area, he and Mark had competed every single week, always trying to outdo each other with a smarter line or a better flow, and they were so evenly matched it was painful. Mark couldn’t stand him, Taeyong had an infuriatingly smug smile any time he felt like he’d won and Mark lived for the moments he could wipe that cocky fucking grin off his face with a line he knew Taeyong couldn’t beat. The guy had such an air of grandiose it made Mark feel sick - always strutting around like he was the shit and no one could touch him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice show Mark,” Taeyong grinned as he walked past the open door to Mark’s dressing room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Go suck a dick,” Mark fumed, not even looking over from his phone screen. He would admit, he did make a fool of himself that night, trying to squat down for too long and falling on his ass on stage when his knees locked up. He felt a firm hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his labelmate and best friend Hendery walking around the couch to plop down next to Mark. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s not worth your time, dude.” Hendery patted his shoulder again reassuringly. “Everyone out there will have forgotten about it by tomorrow.” He offered Mark a gentle smile but Mark only groaned and slumped further into the couch. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Taeyong won’t forget though,” he sighed, “he’s already tweeted about it and we haven’t even been off the stage for 15 minutes.” Mark would never live this down, he’d accepted it, maybe it was a little dramatic but this time he was really going to have to run away to the circus. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hendery sighed, exasperated. “Then do what you do best, get him back next week, then you’ll be even again.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“God you’re such a Libra,” Mark groaned, but he couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his face. What would he do without Hendery’s peace-making attitude? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Mark finally got home that night - after congratulating everyone involved in the performances, helping the technical crew pack up and driving a few labelmates home - he was exhausted. He let himself in the back door as quietly as possible and slunk up to his room, his body on autopilot as he changed out of his performance clothes, his mind busy trying to think of any way to come out on top next week in its exhausted state. However, as soon as his face hit the pillow, he figured he could worry about that in the morning, and passed out sprawled over his bed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next week consisted mostly of frying processed pieces of potato and asking “Are you paying by cash or card?” about a thousand times. Mark’s job was mindless, sure, but the lack of cognitive stimulation gave him an awful lot of time to stew in his anger at Taeyong and rack his brain for some good lyrics. On his days off, he attempted to handle the PR disaster that was his social media presence, figuring that if he laughed along with all the jokes about him falling over on stage, it would stick it to Taeyong and show him that it didn’t bother him. Plus, if he was being honest a lot of the memes were pretty funny, Mark had enough confidence by now to laugh at himself and he thanked the rap gods that this didn’t happen when he was still a rookie. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Friday rolled around once again and as Mark drove home from his morning shift at work, he blasted his pump-up playlist to get himself in the mood to crush Taeyong in his performance - he desperately needed to win this week. He didn’t need to leave for the club for hours, but the building excitement of performing again made Mark pack his performance outfit into his gym bag as soon as he got home. Noticing the various accessories tangled up on his dresser, he dug through them and found some chunky chains to hang from his belt loops, a thin black choker with metal spikes and some large silver rings, all of which he tossed into his bag too. He was going all out tonight, this was his revenge performance and he needed to look intimidating enough to make Taeyong nervous the moment he stepped on stage. In the spirit of that thought, he rummaged through various drawers until he found the black eyeliner pencil he was looking for and applied it generously, smudging out the edges with his finger until his eyes looked dark and sultry. Mark stepped back from the mirror and grinned, he was going to crush this performance and laugh as Taeyong had to go home defeated. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In his excitement, he arrived at the club a little early but was pleased to find Donghyuck already lounging in his dressing room - although Mark’s smile faded a little when he saw that the bowl of chips was already half empty. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Mark Lee!” Donghyuck grinned, clapping him on the shoulder as Mark walked over to put his bag down in the changing room. “Hey nice makeup, I didn’t know it was still 2010,” he giggled. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up, it’s to intimidate the enemy.” Mark sat down in front of the vanity, starting to brush through his hair. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not gonna intimidate anyone if you don’t let me do your hair properly this time,” Donghyuck sighed, getting up from the couch and snatching the brush out of Mark’s hand. Mark gave in and sat back in the chair, Donghyuck had styled his hair a few times before and he had to admit it came out really good. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do your worst,” he replied, watching in the mirror as Donghyuck began lightly backcombing his hair. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Aren’t you glad you have such a generous best friend?” Donghyuck cooed, leaning down to try and kiss Mark’s cheek and he jerked away reflexively. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey!” Mark pushed him away but let Hyuck pinch his cheeks anyway. “Who said you were my best friend?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah Mark!” Donghyuck cried, putting on the exaggerated American accent he often used to tease Mark, and he jabbed Mark in his side with the hairbrush. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah are we interrupting something?” a familiar voice - Hendery’s - chuckled from the doorway. Mark ripped his hands out of Donghyuck’s grasp as he was trying to wrestle his arms above his head and waved casually at the three guys who were now making themselves at home in Mark’s dressing room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey man!” Hendery came over to fistbump Mark while the sweet, but mostly chaotic loves of his life settled themselves on one of the black vinyl couches. “You don’t mind if we all hang in here, do you?” Hendery tipped his head in the direction of his boyfriends and Mark hummed, already thinking about how unorganised the room was going to end up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmm, okay but you all better behave yourselves - Hyuck included.” The latter was rummaging through some lighting boxes but still listening enough to poke his head out and throw an annoyed “hey!” in Mark’s direction. Hendery grinned, already making his way over to Yukhei and Xiaojun. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry I’ll make sure they do.” Mark looked at the trio just long enough to see Hendery flopping down next to Xiaojun, who whispered something to him with a smirk on his face that made Mark turn away and gulp. Those three were definitely cute together, but could be a handful when Mark really wanted to stay in the production manager’s good books by keeping the room tidy. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mark sighed, he had been single for far too long now and The Terrible Three, as he liked to call them, made his heart ache for someone he could give his heart - and his dick - to. He wasn’t a loser, Mark had plenty of friends and knew lots of people, but since his last relationship no one had yet walked into his life who he really clicked with. Sure, he’d fooled around a little since things ended with his ex girlfriend, but the months had passed by and now he was ready again to be committed to one person. Mark wasn’t fussy, he didn’t really have a type in girls or guys or anyone, so he figured the universe must find him someone soon, right? Someone would come along eventually, he just was fed up with waiting, and fed up with his right hand. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A loud burst of laughter from Yukhei snapped him out of his daydream, and Mark turned to the mirror before him and brought his mind back to the matter at hand. If he wanted to win tonight he was going to have to pull out all the stops to feel as hot and confident as possible. Calling Donghyuck back over, Mark began running through his verses for the freestyle performance as Hyuck transformed his hair from its smooth and naturally wavy state to a messy style with a side parting and his bangs framing the sides of his face. By the time he was finished backcombing and straightening and hairspraying, Mark had his lines down to a T, and grinned at himself in the mirror when he saw how different he looked from normal. Even without his stage outfit he was starting to look just as intimidating as he had hoped. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you think guys?” he asked, turning round to show the others. A chorus of whistles and impressed noises left their mouths, Donghyuck bowing dramatically like Mark was his prize vegetable he’d just one first place for. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Looking good Mark!” Xiaojun smiled, “You certainly put in a lot more effort than this one.” He knocked his shoulder into Hendery’s, laughing as he almost toppled off the couch. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey!” He shoved Xiaojun back after regaining his balance. “I do make an effort, I just don’t have the reputation to uphold that Mark does.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What reputation?” Donghyuck scoffed, “Falling on your ass?” The four laughed and Mark lunged for his friend, managing to slap his arm before he ran to the opposite side of the room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up, oh my god,” Mark groaned, “at least I have an ass to fall on.” He glared at Donghyuck, but there was no bite to it, Mark was well used to his teasing by now. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Just kidding you big baby, I’m only winding you up so you can really crush it today.” Donghyuck beamed that big smile of his that always made Mark’s scowl fade, and unfortunately it worked, he could never stay fake-pissed at his best friend.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The wait until the beginning of the Friday night concert passed in the same way, with plenty of friendly teasing and no shortage of gagging noises from Donghyuck whenever The Terrible Three shared a kiss. Mark could hear the never-ending chatter continue as he locked himself in the small changing cubicle, stepping out of his sweatpants and plain t-shirt to pull on his stage outfit with slightly shaky hands. Normally he wore jeans on stage, but this time Mark had packed his black cargo pants, securing them around his hips with a thick belt, and after a few attempts finally attaching the chain properly to his belt loops. He paused to look at himself in the mirror, and Mark had to admit he liked what he saw. If he ignored the Spider Man socks that would soon be covered up by chunky boots, he looked hot like this, shirtless and with the silver buckles and zips complementing his skin tone. Running a hand up his stomach he considered going out on stage like this for a second, but pushed the idea out of his head as soon as he thought of it, instead imagining someone cute from the crowd being invited backstage and them seeing him like this right before he went down on them-- </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mark shook his head, this was </span>
  <em>
    <span>absolutely</span>
  </em>
  <span> not the time to be horny. Skin a little flushed, he pulled his tank top over his head and tucked it into the pants, the black fabric hung fairly loose on his body, but was tight in just the right places to make his waist look especially slim and his shoulders look especially wide. Perfect. Back out in front of the vanity mirror, he put on the handful of jewellery he chose, sliding various silver rings over his fingers and fastening the slim black choker around his neck. As a final touch, he reapplied the eyeliner where it had faded on his waterline, and all that was left to do was to tap his foot impatiently until it was his turn on stage. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The roar of the crowd outside got Mark’s adrenaline pumping, he tried to keep still but the excitement thrumming through his body made it impossible to sit in one spot for too long, even after doing this every week for two years. When Hendery got called to the stage for one of the first few songs of the night, the whole room followed him and waited in the wings while he performed with a few of his and Mark’s other labelmates. They cheered and jumped along offstage as they always did to hype each other up, and after smiling sunnily at the crowd, Hendery flew down the stage steps and into Yukhei and Xiaojun’s waiting arms. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude that was insane!” Mark cried after the celebratory kisses were eventually over, high fiving Hendery excitedly. The five of them were ushered back to the dressing room, where the other four cracked open beers and danced to the music that travelled through the whole building. Mark could really go for some liquid courage right then, but being several people’s lift home meant he left the drinking to the others, instead mentally preparing himself for his performance in 30 minutes time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Time seemed to pass torturously slowly, but eventually a stage hand knocked on the door and gave the ten minute warning, and the group made their way along a narrow corridor to the wings - consciously avoiding the side Taeyong always used so they would enter from opposite sides of the stage. A microphone was passed into his hand, and the solid weight in his hand coupled with the strong smell of sweat and alcohol oddly grounded him as the mix of excitement and nerves set in. He could do this, he was gonna crush Taeyong and laugh in his face when he had to leave the stage defeated, he would spit every word out with the anger he’d kept since last week and wouldn’t fucking stop until Taeyong was licking his boots. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Woah</span>
  </em>
  <span> - okay - maybe that was a bit far. But Mark could feel he was gonna win by a mile tonight. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The song pounding through the speakers came to an end, and Mark turned to his friends for one last round of encouraging words before throwing them a thumbs up as he made his way up the first few metal stairs. He waited halfway up the staircase as the MC introduced their performance, and Mark could just make out Taeyong’s face as he too waited on the stairs at stage right. His heartbeat rang in his ears as he glared at the tuft of bleach blond hair, gripping the microphone tightly and taking one last deep breath before stepping out onto the stage. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The beat faded in slowly and screams filled the club as he and Taeyong walked towards each other. Mark kept his eyes locked with Taeyong’s, cracking his knuckles as they came face to face. He caught how Taeyong’s eyes flickered down, following the movement, and when his gaze came back to his face Mark was right there still glaring at him - he didn’t miss the way Taeyong’s eyes widened slightly. Smirking, Mark held out his arm, gesturing for Taeyong to step up and take the first verse. Taeyong kept his eyes on Mark, suspicious, as he walked on beat to the front of the stage, and finally looked to the crowd when Mark cocked his head expectantly. By this point, the audience were well and truly losing their shit from the fierce competition between the two rappers, Mark could only see the first few rows of the crowd but the deafening screams and cheers told him all he needed to know. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mark’s plan was in action, he’d worked out the structure perfectly for the beat they were given in advance and by letting Taeyong go first he would let him feel like he was winning, for now. He’d never say it out loud, but Mark envied Taeyong’s stage presence, all eyes were on him as he spun out his first verse, the usual shit about how he’s the best, blah blah blah, a reference to one of his singles thrown in there. Taeyong performed this to the crowd, but for his finishing line turned and walked over to Mark, ending his verse when they were inches apart. Mark yawned, to the delight of the crowd, and began his verse as he turned his back to Taeyong, throwing the middle finger over his shoulder for good measure. It was such a rush, getting Taeyong this pissed off and himself remaining calm enough to deliver his lines perfectly. Mark’s cheeks ached from the grin he couldn’t suppress, and he let himself get lost in the high of performing, dancing and winking at various crowd members just to hear them scream louder. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a seat on the edge of the stage, his legs dangling off and girls reaching out over the barrier to try and touch him, he listened to Taeyong’s next verse without once looking in his direction. This time, his position on the edge of the stage brought attention away from Taeyong, who’s voice got louder, his throat clearly straining as this made him even madder. He had a couple of good lines, but much of the same as usual, and Mark mimed looking at his watch a few times just to rub it in. It was approaching the end of the usual verse pattern, and Mark counted the beats in his head, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>shit</span>
  </em>
  <span> Taeyong kept going, with no sign of ending his verse soon. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck it,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mark said to himself, </span>
  <em>
    <span>if he won’t finish I’ll finish his verse for him.</span>
  </em>
  <span> With that, Mark stood up and began his next verse, for a few lines they rapped over top of each other, but Taeyong gave in quickly, allowing Mark to interrupt him. Throwing a hand up in the air in triumph, Mark continued rapping, the practiced words rolling off his tongue with ease. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One more verse each to go and Mark would be wrong to say he wasn’t enjoying this, it was clear after last week Taeyong thought he could win again with little preparation, and oh boy was he wrong. Taeyong stumbled through his final verse, rapping through gritted teeth, his knuckles white where he held the microphone to his lips. Mark smiled, he saved his best rhymes until last and as Taeyong said his final line, Mark prepared himself to send Taeyong off stage looking like a kicked puppy. The audience roared as he performed, Mark crowding into Taeyong’s space and pumping himself up in his lyrics, basking in the support of the crowd who had laughed at him last week. He held direct eye contact as he growled out his last line.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t. Ever. Try. To. Come. Even. Close.” The beat ended and all that was left to hear was the chanting of Mark’s name; and Taeyong, mouth hanging open, pressed his lips together and turned on his heel to storm off stage. Mark laughed into his microphone so Taeyong would hear it, and spent a few moments with the crowd thanking them for coming out and letting their cheers wash over him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taeyong was </span>
  <em>
    <span>pissed</span>
  </em>
  <span> to say the least. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He thought he had Mark wrapped around his finger, he thought that he would for sure win again this time and take all the glory. Taeyong thought that he had the world in his hands and he was ready to show it all off to Mark just to spite him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That was until he saw Mark walk out with his new look and Taeyong hated that it caught him off guard. Showing up looking like the hottest piece of ass in the building to intimidate his enemies was Taeyong’s thing! Not Mark’s! The audacity of this guy to use his own tricks against him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Taeyong stormed off the stage after having enough of Mark’s cocky attitude, he slammed open the door of his backstage dressing room. A few things that were hung up on the walls rattled but Taeyong really couldn’t be bothered about breaking anything at this point. Thank God the room was empty when he walked in, Taeyong pulled out a pack of pre-rolled blunts and with shaky hands managed to light one. The room quickly became hazy as Taeyong took hit after hit, trying to calm himself down from being so outraged after he let Mark humiliate him like that on stage.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled out his phone and scrolled through Twitter, already he saw Mark posting pictures with his friends boasting about his win. “Fuck you Mark Lee” Taeyong said to himself as he burned through his blunt. He saw a few tweets from his fans, they were all concerned about him seeing how he stormed off stage without a word. They were sending him messages of support and he liked a few of them, even replying to them with heart emojis as well. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taeyong continued scrolling until he got a notification of Mark mentioning him in a tweet. If Taeyong was sober he would’ve ignored it, but now the weed was getting to him and he tapped on the notification at the bottom of his screen to expand the tweet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He nearly fell off his chair at what he saw.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mark had posted a selfie, and even though Taeyong had clowned Mark in the past for not being the best selfie taker, all of a sudden it’s like he’d mastered the art just to piss him off even more. The angle of his selfie no longer screamed “middle aged father finds out what a selfie is” and now Taeyong can’t keep his eyes away from Mark’s lap covered in chains and rips along his thighs. The little shit knew what he was doing with this picture and it pissed Taeyong off all over again. Thankfully he still had 5 more pre-rolls in his pack.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Due to his hazy state, Taeyong distantly heard the door open and he looked up to see who had walked in.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ Taeyong are you trying to hotbox the dressing room? Without me?!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taeyong scoffed, “I’m not in the fucking mood Ten, did you see what Mark did? I’m so pissed! Who the fuck does he think he is!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ten took the blunt from Taeyong’s fingers and took a hit himself, “of course I saw what Mark did, I hate to say it but he really pulled a vibe check on you tonight. And he actually showed up in something other than a hoodie and black skinny jeans, I was starting to think that’s all he owned.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And then look at this! He has the audacity to tweet at me with his stupid selfies and kissy emojis like, go fuck yourself! You win once and you don’t know how to act!” Taeyong showed Ten his phone so he could see the pictures himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god he looks hot what the fuck? What the fuck Taeyong? Oh shit, wait, I accidentally liked it-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“TEN WHAT THE FUCK GIVE ME BACK MY PHONE,” Taeyong yelled.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry! It was an accident, just unlike it!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No but he already got the notification so there’s no point! He’s gonna see it and it’s gonna fuel his ego trip even more!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At that moment, Taeyong received another notification from Mark.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>@longassride99: looks like someone liked my selfies ;) [screenshot attached]</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taeyong looked at Ten with the scariest glare and the latter simply took another hit. “Ten I’m seriously going to kill you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t do that! Kun would come after you if you killed me before our wedding!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As if he was summoned, the door opened again and in walked Kun, Ten’s fiancé.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The minute I open the door a huge cloud of smoke poured out I can’t believe you two,” Kun says.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ten put on his biggest puppy eyes and grabbed his fiancé’s hand, “Baby, tell Taeyong that he can’t kill me, it’s not my fault I accidentally liked Mark’s selfies on his account okay. I’m human, we're all flawed.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean...” Kun trailed off and gestured randomly with his hands, “you kinda did add fuel to the fire.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever! Mark looked cute in his selfies and it wasn’t like Taeyong wasn’t going to spend tonight looking at them over and over again anyways!” Ten pouted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taeyong offered the last hit to Kun, who declined and let Taeyong have it for himself. He clearly needed it more. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The hallway is clear, by the way. Mark and his friends left to hit the clubs a few minutes ago so we should probably head out soon. Not before clearing out the air in this room first though,” Kun says.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taeyong nodded and stood up, the high getting to him and making him feel light headed the minute he’s on his feet. He ignored the way his phone was blowing up with notifications and turned it off for the night. He could deal with that tomorrow when he was sober, for now he just wanted to go home and eat McDonald’s.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Baby can we stop by and get food before we leave? I’m hungry and I’m sure Yongie is hungry too, right?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taeyong nodded, “yeah...I want McDonald’s. McDonald’s sounds amazing right now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my gosh, your mind Taeyong! I want chicken nuggets so bad!” Ten gushed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, Okay I’ll make a pit stop at McDonald’s, but no Sprite for you Ten, you’re never able to sleep afterwards.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The whining coming from Ten felt distant, Taeyong felt like he was walking on autopilot and even though he wasn’t as angry as he was when he initially walked into the dressing room, he still couldn’t stop thinking about Mark and his stupid face and his stupid ripped jeans and stupid chains. Everything was all wrong but Taeyong couldn’t let Mark get too ahead of himself. The next time they faced each other on stage Taeyong would be the one leaving victorious, and he already had a few plans up his sleeve.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After Taeyong's crushing defeat, he takes his sweet time formulating a plan to take Mark down next week and show him what a good performance really looks like. Mark, none the wiser, goes out and gets shit faced with his friends, but alcohol can really put a stopper in your brain-to-mouth filter.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hiii it's bea! the reception of our first chapter was AMAZING :') thank you so much to anyone who left a comment or kudos, ash and i got v emotional reading the comments on the first chapter djsbsjjs. this fic is our baby so seeing people saying they're excited to read more makes us both soso happy, we've been counting down the days until we can post the next chapter </p><p>this chapter is a little more spicy as you get to see just how far mark and taeyong will go to win hehe, i hope you enjoy!</p><p>p.s. please see the updated tags! this chapter also includes alcohol and weed consumption </p><p>you can find us both on twitter </p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/><a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Shit.” Mark grinned at himself in the mirror, caught in a moment of sobriety in the gloomy bathroom of a downtown club. The drive here was kind of a blur, they gave a big tip to their Uber driver to make up for being so loud and excited in the car, and Yukhei had a shot in all of their hands within mere minutes of getting into the club. Okay maybe Mark was a bit more drunk than he intended to get, two hours into their night out, but he reasoned with himself that he deserved to celebrate tonight. He splashed some cold water on his face and threw his reflection a peace sign before heading back out into the loud music and bright lights. His friends had found themselves a booth while he was gone, and Mark clumsily sat down next to Donghyuck, leaning over the table to join in their conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m serious!” Xiaojun cried, widening his eyes at Donghyuck. “I beat him in a best-of-three!” Hyuck rolled his eyes in response,</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bullshit you did,” he laughed, downing the last sip of his drink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nah he really won, I was there,” Hendery chimed in, seemingly tired of this conversation point. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you!” Xiaojun threw his hands up, exasperated and Mark giggled drunkenly at his dramatics. “Are you gonna admit you really got beaten now?” He turned to Yukhei, presumably the reason they were even having this ‘argument’. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Never,” Yukhei grinned back, winding his boyfriend up even further and earning him a playful slap on the arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark leant over the table to Hendery opposite him, “Who won what?” His words came out a little slurred, and Mark couldn’t help flush at how obviously drunk he was, giggly and ditzy like drunk-Mark always is. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hendery shrugged, “Some videogame, I don’t even know which one,” he laughed. “I really don’t get how they can be so competitive, they’re like little kids sometimes.” He was trying to sound fed-up, but Mark could sense the fondness in his voice and couldn’t help feeling a slight tug on his heart. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of winning,” Donghyuck piped up, finally bringing Yukhei and Xiaojun out of their play-wrestling. “Mark you really beat Taeyong’s ass tonight, hell yeah!” Mark couldn’t stop himself grinning, the slightly domestic conversation didn’t make an impact on the rush he still felt ever since stepping off the stage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks dude, did you see what I posted on Twitter too, oh my god!” The thought of the interaction still made Mark burst out laughing, Taeyong really favourited his post mocking him, that really happened. The table erupted into laughter and jeers, and Mark couldn’t help wondering if Taeyong found him as hot as he felt taking that selfie, if Mark made him feel so humiliated he’d want to crawl between Mark’s spread thighs and really surrender to him - the ultimate victory. If Mark were sober he’d grimace at the mere thought of doing anything remotely intimate with Taeyong, but his drunken brain couldn’t help picture it, Taeyong on his knees for him, that fucking mouth of his open for Mark to use it however he liked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>God</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“His face when he stormed off stage was so funny,” Yukhei wheezed out, bringing Mark out of his thoughts, thankfully, “He looked like he was about to throw a full-on tantrum!” As his friends all fell about laughing, Mark thought back to seeing that face up close, his expression changing from shock to anger to a small pout. He probably didn’t even realise the face he was making but god it was adorable, his bottom lip poking out ever so slightly and his eyes narrowing to glare at Mark. </span>
  <em>
    <span>God, he’s so cute when he’s mad.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donghyuck’s loud laughter from beside Mark suddenly stopped, and he turned to look at Mark with his mouth hanging open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what did you just say?” Mark froze. Oh shit, he said that out loud. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhhh, nothing!” Mark cringed at how obviously false his answer was, it was too late, he was never going to hear the end of this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What did he say?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He said Taeyong looks cute when he’s mad.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who said that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mark did!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark listened to their exchanges with his head in his hands, wishing the ground would swallow him up as they burst into rowdy laughter and jostled him by his shoulders, jeering and cooing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aww our Markie has a crush on his own rival,” Donghyuck teased, making kissy faces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck off, I hate him!” The statement didn’t do Mark any favours, the teasing continuing for an agonising few minutes until finally the conversation moved on, Mark with his face firmly planted in the table in shame. Fuck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The day after the rap battle, Taeyong started his intensive research project on how to make sure Mark would lose this Friday. He already had Mark’s Soundcloud profile pulled up on his laptop and his dab pen on hand for extra inspiration if needed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong had never bothered to listen to any of Mark’s mixtapes or singles, he knew that they existed but he actively ignored them because Mark is </span>
  <em>
    <span>annoying.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But if Taeyong wanted to win this time, he would have to subject himself to endless hours of Mark’s raps so that he could find a way to break Mark’s confidence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He clicked on one of Mark’s most recent releases, a 10 track mixtape that was released a few weeks ago. Taeyong remembered seeing a bit of a stir on Twitter after its release, but because he refused to ever listen to any of Mark’s songs he couldn’t really get a first hand perspective on why his fans were starting an uproar over Mark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong hit play on the mixtape and let the first track flow through his speakers. The beat of the first song was really… sensual. The overall sound was really suggestive and Taeyong already knew that this was going to be one of those thirst trap songs that got the crowd going with its scandalous lyrics. Taeyong wasn’t new to this, he had made songs like this himself, and his predictions were validated once the first few lines of the song came up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark’s mixtape was a huge contrast to the way he rapped on stage. Whereas on stage he would spit rhymes about how tough and unbeatable he was, there was a lot more raw emotion in his mixtape and Taeyong hated to admit that he was impressed. The first track wasn’t too provocative, it was a typical song about having your eye on someone and desiring to be close to them. However, as Taeyong burned through the mixtape, the song’s sexual nature picked up and by the seventh track he was feeling his face grow hot and his palms become sweaty. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong had no idea that Mark had such… carnal desires. Nothing about Mark’s appearance or persona online could have ever prepared Taeyong for the way he was growling into the mic and whispering softly about wanting to have a battle for power and control with someone in the bedroom like a game of tug of war. Listening to Mark rap about how he wanted someone pliant like putty in his hands and on their knees willing to do as Mark says felt like an extreme call out for his submissive self. Taeyong couldn’t help but close his eyes and imagine that Mark was in the room with him and directly addressing him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It pissed Taeyong off. It made Taeyong feel immensely frustrated because he shouldn’t be thinking about himself and Mark in this way. Mark was annoying, Mark was arrogant, Mark was everything that Taeyong despised; Mark was definitely not someone Taeyong wanted to have sex with yet here he was fantasizing about Mark walking through his door and wrapping his infuriatingly pretty hands around his neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong reaches for his dab pen and takes a hit, the green light illuminating his dark room. He needs something to calm himself down, he can’t let himself get caught up in his anger and frustration when he was trying to plan how to take down his enemy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the mixtape reached its end, Taeyong sat back in his chair feeling a bit buzzed and sexually frustrated. Getting high didn’t get rid of his horny thoughts about Mark, it only amplified them and Taeyong was in a huge dilemma. He couldn’t stop thinking about himself submitting to Mark and being the perfect image of Mark’s desires. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That’s when it hit him, his opportunity to take down Mark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong would have to play dirty to win, but Mark played dirty first so now they would be even.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If Taeyong couldn’t humiliate Mark by flexing his confidence and power, he would take the upper hand by painting the prettiest picture of Mark’s desires. Mark would have no one to blame but himself for being so explicit about the type of person he wanted to fuck in his songs. What a coincidence that Taeyong wouldn’t even need to go out of his way to act the part, but would wearing a leather choker to the next rap battle be too much?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong replayed his favorite (ew, admitting it felt gross to him) track from Mark’s mixtape. It totally wasn’t his favorite because of all the ad libs and whispered singing on the track. That totally wasn’t the reason why. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He replayed the parts where Mark’s voice lowers and almost sounds raspy, and Taeyong hates that he feels his heart rate speed up and he especially despises himself for getting aroused just from Mark’s voice. He took producing thirst traps to a whole other level and Taeyong was furious at how easily it worked on him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What Taeyong did next is something that he’ll try with every cell in his body to blame on him hitting his dab pen too hard and not being in the right state of mind. He’ll go to the ends of the world to try to convince himself and the people around him that the reason he jerked off to Mark’s voice wasn’t because he was attracted to him, he hated Mark and that’s all there ever was between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Taeyong replayed Mark’s songs over and over again, he dragged down the zipper of his jeans and pulled his already hard dick out of his underwear. It took an embarrassingly short amount of time for him to cum while having Mark’s deep voice whispering to him through the speakers telling him how pretty he would look on his knees. By the third time around, Taeyong felt himself getting dizzy with it and slammed his laptop shut. His tummy and the edge of his shirt was stained and his high had already phased out, leaving him absolutely exhausted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong went to bed that night dreaming out his fantasies and if he woke up with his sheets a mess, he told no one about it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He spent a week planning his performance, Taeyong tried asking Ten and Kun for help but once they found out about his ideas the teasing quickly follows. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay Taeyong we get it you want Markie to rearrange your guts,” Ten had told him along with several other teasing remarks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kun had tried to provide constructive advice but it just ended up with Taeyong getting flustered at the idea of being so bold on stage. He had to get over himself in order to do this properly, if he fumbled on stage it would be over for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he had brought up the idea to dress up for the act, Ten was incredibly enthusiastic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So now here Taeyong was, getting his face beat by Ten before the show. Ten had volunteered to do Taeyong’s makeup and who was he to refuse? After getting several opinions from Kun and Ten about his outfits that he had planned, Taeyong finally settled on a light pink satin button up that had the first three buttons undone. His leather choker stood out on display and his tight black jeans hugged his thighs nicely. Ten and Kun had reassured him that he looked perfect and now the final touches of makeup for the full effect were almost complete. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few more gentle brush strokes, Ten sat back and admired his work.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God, I’m so talented at this shit I should get paid for this,” he said to himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong looked at himself in the mirror and smiled, Ten had really done a great job and he felt a huge confidence boost run through his body. He looked soft and delicate but at the same time ready to kick someone in their throat if they ever crossed him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was only fifteen minutes left before Taeyong would have to go on stage. His heart was racing and Taeyong tried to ignore the way his palms were getting clammy. Although he was nervous, he was more excited to pull through with his plan and ready to see Mark’s face when he finally kicked him off of his ego trip. That satisfaction cancelled out any stage fright that Taeyong was feeling at the moment. He just had to keep telling himself that it would all be worth it when he ended the night successfully and took back his throne.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the five minute mark, Taeyong was drinking water and getting hyped up by his friends before it was his turn to go on stage. Ten fussed a bit with his outfit, insisting that it had to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>absolutely perfect </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>on point </span>
  </em>
  <span>for him. Not even at the last minute did Ten let up and Kun had to physically pull Ten away from Taeyong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just looking out for Taeyong why aren’t you letting me!” Ten whined.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kun patted his head gently, “I know you are babe, but he literally has 30 seconds left just let him be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the MC announced for Mark and Taeyong to go onstage, all Taeyong’s self doubt and insecurities had faded away. It was now or never and Taeyong wasn’t planning on losing again. He would make Mark eat his words from last week and show him that he was a force to be reckoned with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark walked out first, basking in the loud cheers from his fans and looking as smug as ever, which pissed off Taeyong immensely. Whatever, Taeyong reassured himself that he wouldn’t have the same expression on his face by the time he was done. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong noticed that he was back to his oversized hoodies and black skinny jeans, which he hated to admit looked kind of cute on him. However, the chains dangling from his pants added a bit of an edge to his soft appearance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the MC called for Taeyong he pulled his opened up shirt a bit further down his shoulders and walked out. The cheers from his fans were deafening and he gave the crowd a big smile. When he made eye contact with Mark, Taeyong felt a wave of satisfaction when he saw the way his eyes widened and looked him up and down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong raised a brow and smirked at Mark, making his opponent immediately huff and look away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s right Mark Lee, you aren’t ready for what I’m about to put you through.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark initiated the show, and Taeyong could admit that Mark was still on a pretty good roll from last week. As the performance alternated between Mark and himself, Taeyong feigned a lack of confidence in order to make Mark feel comfortable with the prospect of an easy win. The equivalent of an animal feigning an injury in order to reel in an oblivious predator, waiting until they’re at their most vulnerable before striking a fatal blow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Mark thought he’d got his win secured for the second week in a row, Taeyong executed his plan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He starts out soft, spitting rhymes that could pass off as praise, but for Taeyong it’s just a little sugar to make the sour truth go down a bit easier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark’s cold front started slipping as he slowly realized what Taeyong was doing. He recognized the way Taeyong was calling him out on his latest mixtape and Taeyong feels excited when he sees the way Mark is cowering in his pair of checkered vans.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong stepped closer and closer to Mark, and he smirked when he noticed Mark back up a little bit. Taeyong’s lines became more and more heated, and the crowd held their breath when he playfully put Mark on the spot. He’s backing Mark more and more into his little corner at every word he spits out, and Taeyong </span>
  <em>
    <span>loves it.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He loves the way Mark can’t even look him in the eyes anymore and starts fumbling with the sleeves of his hoodie. Taeyong isn’t even halfway done with him and he can already tell that he’s won this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No one, not even Taeyong was anticipating his next move. He decided on the spot to really drive his performance home and proceeded to get on his knees in front of Mark. When he looked up at him and bats his eyes, Mark looked furious. It doesn’t scare Taeyong one bit, in fact it motivates him even more to be as scandalous as possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong had completely broken down Mark’s confident act and when he delivered his last line, he got to his feet and brought his free hand up to pantomime a blow job all while looking Mark in the face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, when Taeyong starts making his exit off the stage, he’s the one who’s basking in victory. He looked back at Mark, who had a murderous look in his eyes and was clenching his fists. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong giggles into his mic and says, “you coming baby?” before finally making his exit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The crowd went absolutely wild, no one knowing how to react other than yelling at the top of their lungs. The MC looked at Mark nervously and announced Taeyong’s victory. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Taeyong walks to his dressing room, his on-stage persona fades away and he immediately felt himself panicking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Did I really just do that?! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Taeyong screamed internally, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t believe I just got on my knees in front of Mark on stage where there was probably a lot of phones recording everything oh God there’s going to be hundreds of videos on Twitter once this is all over I’m a fucking IDIOT-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Taeyong burst through the door, he was met with Ten looking absolutely shocked and Kun’s face looking a bit pink.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ten, get the bong ready because I have no idea what I just did,” Taeyong said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot </span>
  </em>
  <span>of explaining to do Taeyong. I can’t believe you actually did that! I mean I was already expecting you to be a bit extra today but I was never expecting you to actually pull that kind of performance!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong sat on a chair and pulled out his phone. When he goes onto Twitter his mentions were absolutely flooded by fans tagging him in photos and videos showing himself on his knees. Taeyong felt so embarrassed at his own self and wanted to crawl into a ball and never go back out into society.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kun attempted to comfort him, “At least you got the win you wanted, right Taeyong? All of this wasn’t for nothing!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know I won and I should be happy, but at what cost? Is this going to blow up in my face?” Taeyong asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His friends don’t say anything, but they hug him and pass him the bong when it’s his turn and he takes a hit so hard he’s coughing up a storm. Anything to help ease off the edge of knowing he’s royally pissed off Mark.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>twitters:</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/><a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mark's reaction to Taeyong's performance plus a surprise halloween party at the club...what could possibly go wrong!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>time for another update: thanks so much for all the comments and good feedback! Bea and I love reading the comments together and freaking out over the fact that people actually like our story like we do. </p><p>You can have a lil nsfw and sexual tension......as a treat :D</p><p>Follow us on twitter for updates!<br/><a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/><a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mark knew he should move, speak, do </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> - anything instead of standing there in the middle of the stage. But he was frozen, his mind stuck replaying what just happened like a skipping record. His heartbeat was so loud in his ears but more urgently, his stomach flipped with sudden arousal and he could feel his dick hardening by the second - in the middle of the fucking stage. The few seconds it took him to react to Taeyong calling him from the back of the stage felt like years, and Mark cringed at himself for acting like this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His body moved on autopilot down the stage steps, past his friends with their mouths wide open in shock, Mark’s mind nearly exploding with thoughts and questions. What the fuck was that? He started off so strong, but Taeyong pulled the rug out from under him, how dare he fucking quote Mark’s own mixtape and spin all his best lines into a ‘clever’ response. Clever in quotation marks in his head because damn near plagiarizing Mark’s lyrics wasn’t a good look for Taeyong. God but that outfit was though, Mark had to admit, he looked goddamn delicious with his chest exposed and thighs wrapped so tightly in fabric you could see every muscle moving when he danced - not that Mark was looking. But the final nail in the coffin to Mark’s current </span>
  <em>
    <span>problem</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the view he had of Taeyong dropping to his knees right in front of him, rolling his head back to let his bangs fall over his eyes and looking up at Mark with his dumb puppy eyes. It happened so fast Mark had no time to react, and when Taeyong stood up to poke his tongue into his cheek and make such an obscene gesture, Mark didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or both, so he just stood there, gobsmacked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mark…” Xiaojun called from the doorway to his dressing room, making Mark jump slightly as he began throwing his belongings back into his bag. “I hope you’re not too disappointed, you know you’ll get him back next week, you always do!” He offered Mark a small but reassuring smile, and Mark smiled back weakly, only half listening as his mind raced with images of Taeyong doing other compromising things. He tapped the heel of his palm to his temples, hoping to knock the image out of his head, but it was too late, he was rock solid in his jeans. Because of Lee fucking Taeyong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark could hear his friends murmuring to each other in the doorway, something about how they’d never seen him so upset. Hah. If only they knew he was acting like this because the person he despised most in the world had taken over his mind with images of him sucking Mark off, all sloppy and messy but so so good. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you guys next week,” Mark mumbled, throwing his bag over his shoulder and strategically using a hand in his pocket to pull his hoodie down over his crotch. He felt bad for dipping so fast and not offering anyone a ride home, but he was in no state to make conversation with this insane boner, and drove home with his knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The distraction of driving let him calm down a little, and by the time he’d made his way home and into the shower, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>issue</span>
  </em>
  <span> had gone away. As the hot water ran over Mark, the exhaustion of performing set in, and it took more effort than he’d admit to actually start cleaning himself instead of just standing under the water. By the time he finally crawled into bed, in just a pair of boxers and his big red Vancouver shirt, he couldn’t hold back his yawns. His phone buzzed with a notification from Twitter, and Mark supposed he could spend a few minutes looking through his mentions before bed as they always made him laugh. What he didn’t expect was the floods of people tagging him in pictures and videos of that night’s performance. He’d only just started to forget the way Taeyong looked good enough to eat with a sprinkling of glitter over his collarbones, but the few frames of video he saw before rubbing a hand over his eyes were enough to bring everything back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew he shouldn’t, but Mark couldn’t help himself scrolling a little further, watching himself and The Devil on stage from every angle. The part where Taeyong got on his knees still made him blush even through the screen, and it would be so easy to brush the hand that rested on his stomach over his crotch, touch himself where he needs it. Sighing, he tried to roll over and go to sleep, but no matter how tired he felt, there was a restlessness that he knew only one thing would fix. So he smoothed a hand over his chest, catching his nipple with his thumb and instantly relaxing under the touch, his breath hitching slightly. He repeated the motion a few times, letting his dick twitch into life before moving his hand down there instead to tease himself over the thin material of his underwear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It felt so good, like scratching an itch he’d had the whole night, and in his sleepy state he allowed Taeyong to drift back into his thoughts. Mark didn’t have the energy to fight him off anymore. He closed his eyes and pictured getting Taeyong alone, unbuttoning his shirt and slipping it off his shoulders, pressing kisses down his neck and making him gasp, pushing him down onto his knees again. Wrapping his hand around his clothed length, Mark thought about the way Taeyong would suck him off, would he start off slow, or swallow him down from the start? He liked to think Taeyong would take his time, licking over his cock until Mark had to grab his hair and make him stop teasing. When he finally let himself reach into his boxers, he pushed his hips up like his hand was Taeyong’s pretty mouth, imagining the way Taeyong would look up at him through his eyelashes like he did on stage, working his lips over Mark and laving his tongue against every little nerve ending. With that image in mind, his left hand pulling at his own hair, Mark worked himself closer to orgasm, rolling his hips in a steady rhythm until he got so close to tipping over the edge he slumped into the mattress and quickly worked his hand over the head, falling into his embarrassingly well-practiced routine of cumming without making a mess over his clothes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Exhausted and slightly delirious, he slipped his fingers into his mouth to clean up his hand, pressing the pads of his fingers against his tongue like he would if it was Taeyong’s mouth he had his fingers in. Mark cleaned up his hand with a tissue the best he could in the dark and rolled onto his side, bone-tired and satisfied. Taeyong was still in his mind's-eye though, curling into Mark’s back and throwing an arm around his waist, holding him close and nuzzling into his shoulder. Mark would rather die than admit it, but that thought soothed him to sleep faster than anything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong didn’t really have a lot of time to wallow in his panic over practically trying to seduce Mark on stage. The reason being is that the club they both performed at decided to host a last minute halloween party inviting anyone and everyone. Taeyong </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved </span>
  </em>
  <span>Halloween and dressing up, he and his friends always had a lot of fun getting ready and he was especially looking forward to all the alcohol. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A thought crept into his mind telling him that if everyone was invited then Mark would most definitely attend the party too, but Taeyong did his best to ignore that and focused on planning his costume.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The past two years, Taeyong had cosplayed and it turned out really well, however, this time around Taeyong didn’t really have enough time to do all of that and was a bit stressed about what he was going to do.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How about you be a vampire with me! Kun didn’t want to coordinate this time because apparently he wants to dress up as a sexy cop or whatever. Which is totally fine for me but I want to be matching with someone!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong was in his room surfing through ideas on the internet, Ten was sitting on his floor letting a clay face mask dry on his skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to be a vampire though...I want to be something cute…” Taeyong mumbled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you saying that vampires can’t be cute?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No! Vampires can definitely be cute but...I don’t really vibe with it, you know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, you can be boring and dress up like a cat then.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong sat up in his seat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait a minute...Ten I think you just did something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His friend just sighed and got up to wash the now dried clay off of his face. Taeyong turned back to his computer and looked up the cutest pair of cat ears he could find. Hopefully he could get them delivered to his house on time for the party.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re going to be a cat, at least let me do your makeup again,” Ten said as he walked back into his room, his face pink and glossy from the face mask.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, do you think getting a collar with a bell would be overkill?” Taeyong asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Taeyong. If you don’t get one I’ll be extremely disappointed in you. You’ll look so cute and with my help, it’ll be even cuter.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t need any more convincing to add said collar to his cart. With his costume mostly secured, Taeyong could now focus his excitement on the party.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few hours before they were set to leave for the party, Kun and Ten came over to Taeyong’s apartment to get dressed and do a little pregaming. The couple had shown up in their costumes and Ten’s makeup was amazing. The fake blood running down his lip looked almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>too </span>
  </em>
  <span>real and Taeyong freaked out a bit initially. Kun looked well put together and if it weren't for the fuzzy handcuffs attached to his belt, Taeyong would’ve really mistaken him for a real cop. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong had spent a good hour figuring out the perfect outfit to put together. He wanted to look cute but also have an underlying sexy vibe to his costume. He hoped that the wide necked white t-shirt would suffice with his ripped jeans. The ears came the day before and Taeyong was so excited when he was opening up the package, the white faux fur on them was soft to the touch and the clip-on tail was everything he had hoped for. When he had ripped the plastic that held the collar he ordered, Taeyong felt his heart jump in his chest. The bell was a bit noisier than he expected but it was cute nonetheless. When he had secured it around his neck, Taeyong felt a rush of giddiness run through him and he was so happy and excited to go to the party and celebrate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten had cooed at him for a good 15 minutes, and Kun patted his head and told Taeyong that his costume looked great. When Ten got his hands on Taeyong’s makeup, he immediately got to work making him look like the cutest cat in the whole club.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The air got a bit hazy in Taeyong’s room as the three of them passed around his bong, Ten was extremely enthusiastic with the pressed glitters and he wanted Taeyong to literally be glowing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to put some blush on your nose because it’ll make it look like you’re shy and blushing and combined with everything else going on with your costume I swear you’re going to have the whole club thirsting after you,” Ten said as he applied the finishing touches to Taeyong’s makeup.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Does that mean Mark will like my costume too? Will he find me cute? Will I even see him at all? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Taeyong thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took another hit from his bong to try and rid himself of those thoughts, he couldn’t think about Mark right now. Tonight was his night to have fun and there was no way he was going to let Mark invade his thoughts again. Even if a part of him did want to entertain those fantasies of Mark finding him so irresistible that he drags him outside of the club and-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Taeyong? Are you okay? Come back to earth I need you to see how it turned out!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten poking his face with a powder brush brought him out of his Mark thoughts, and when he looked in the mirror he smiled and admired how the sparkles on his eyes and cheekbones made him look soft and ethereal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ten it looks great! Thank you so much!” Taeyong turned his head from left to right to admire the whole look.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome Yongie, I’m glad I could help. Now how about we start heading to the club, I’m already in the mood for drinks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finding an Uber was an absolute </span>
  <em>
    <span>nightmare.</span>
  </em>
  <span> They had to wait half an hour for the next available driver and overall, the trio was nervous about getting to the party too late. Thankfully, by the time they did manage to arrive they were just letting the last few people in line into the club and they didn’t have to miss out on a whole lot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once they were inside, Ten immediately dragged them to the bar and got them started on drinks. Taeyong should’ve probably paced himself a bit better, but he was so caught up with the festive vibe of the party that he decided that drinking at the same pace as Ten, a known heavyweight among the three of them, was a fantastic idea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He got several compliments that night, even having a few acquaintances petting his head as if he really was a cat for the fun of it. Under the lowlights of the club, the sparkles stood out on Taeyong’s face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everything was going fine, he was with Kun and Ten who slowly became clingier with each other until Ten was sitting in his fiance’s lap and two seconds away from devouring him. Taeyong was soon regretting drinking so much so quickly when it all hit him at once, he went from being functional to his knees feeling wobbly and feeling the sudden urge to cry for no reason in particular. Taeyong felt his body getting too hot and he tried to find some back door he could use to get a breath of fresh air, which ended up being a terrible mistake after 10 minutes. He was nowhere near the back door and Taeyong was now lost and unable to find his friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong felt a knot grow in his chest and tears built up in his eyes. He didn’t know how he did it, but he eventually found his way to a pair of bathrooms and rushed into the nearest one. Luckily for him, it was empty and Taeyong slumped into a ball in one of the corners of the bathroom and let his sniffling turn into tears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Where were his friends? Did they abandon him at the club? Realistically, Taeyong knew they would never do that to him but in his drunken state his mind was telling him that maybe this time was the first time his friends forgot about him and now he was all alone in a dingy club bathroom crying while in a cat costume. If this wasn’t hitting a new low in his life, Taeyong didn’t know what was. The little bell attached to his collar jingled as he cried and it made him feel worse about his predicament. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong was too wrapped up in his pity party to hear the door of the bathroom open. He had his forehead resting on his knees and couldn’t see the person who had unknowingly walked into his mini breakdown. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the noise of water running broke the silence, Taeyong looked up and his eyes slowly focused on the person currently washing their hands at one of the sinks. He sniffled loudly and caught the attention of said person and when they made eye contact with each other, Taeyong heard himself gasp.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“T-Taeyong? Is that you? Why are you crying and… why are you sitting on the floor?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This situation just became ten times more humiliating and Taeyong wished the floor of the bathroom would open up and swallow him whole. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Taeyong's knight in shining armour appears, Mark makes contact with The Enemy, and Taeyong ends up in bed with KunTen.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hiiii we decided last minute to make this an extra long chapter so i hope u enjoy!! :D </p><p>ash and i had a blast planning this chapter omg i think the party scene might be one of my favourite parts of the whole fic? i don't wanna give too much away just in the notes but let me say that this chapter is a big turning point in the fic hehe :0 </p><p>also big tw for weed and alcohol in this chapter too </p><p>as always, thank you so much for all the lovely comments on here and on twitter! i know that reading an unfinished fic can be a test of patience so we really appreciate when people take the time to tell us what they think, y'all are the best &lt;33</p><p>you can find us on twitter: </p><p>ash: <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/>bea: <a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Mark had first heard the Neo Tech club was hosting a Halloween party this year he couldn’t believe the news, the last time he went to a Halloween party was back in Canada, and he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> ready to experience one again. His costume, a Spider Man suit, didn’t take him long to decide on as he loved the superhero so much and humbly felt he had the shoulders to fill out the suit. He arrived with sexy-clown-Xiaojun at the party in good spirits, meeting up with the rest of their crew - cowboy Yukhei, ‘Where’s Waldo?’ Hendery and zombie Donghyuck - who were already waiting in line to get into the club. To Mark’s dismay, Xiaojun and Hendery were all over Yukhei in his ridiculous cowboy getup. Although Yukhei was taken, Mark still had eyes, so once they were inside and he had a few shots in him he couldn’t deny that he’d totally save a horse and ride a cowboy if the cowboy looked as good as that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The night raced by as they danced, laughed and drank together, and Mark had to admit this was one of his best nights out in a while, the club had certainly hired a DJ with good taste. As much as Mark wanted to keep dancing all night, he couldn’t ignore any longer that he needed to pee, like, really badly. So, at the end of the song he excused himself from his friends and sought out the bathroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He pushed open the door with his shoulder, appreciating that the bathroom didn’t smell like puke yet, and froze slightly when he noticed a guy huddled on the floor, his knees to his chest. Mark looked away, putting the guy’s behaviour down to a bad acid trip perhaps and got on with his business as quickly as possible to get out of his way. As he washed his hands, however, he suddenly registered that the funny noise this guy in a cat costume was making was him </span>
  <em>
    <span>crying</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Mark felt a pang of sympathy for this poor catboy, possibly tripping out and all on his own, clearly upset about something. Just as he opened his mouth to ask the dude if he’s okay, he lifted his head to wipe away his tears and Mark saw who it was crying on the bathroom floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fucking Taeyong.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shit, it was too late to react, Mark’s mouth was already moving and calling out to him, making Taeyong jump and furiously wipe away his tears, his eyes wide and bright. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cute.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-,” Taeyong began, before bursting into tears again. Okay, as much as Mark couldn’t stand Taeyong, he wasn’t heartless, and leaving anyone crying like that would be a shitty thing to do, even to his own rival. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, hey,” Mark shushed, walking quickly to Taeyong’s side and squatting down next to him. “What’s wrong?” he asked timidly, like talking too loudly would scare Taeyong away. When Taeyong didn’t answer, only sniffling, Mark grabbed him some paper towels and held them out to him gently, Taeyong taking them without looking up. God this was a mess, Mark was notoriously hopeless at comforting people when they cry, he just doesn’t know what to say or do to be helpful, so he always winds up doing nothing. It’s not like he doesn’t care about people, hell no, he just doesn’t have that same sense of what to do that others seem to instinctively have. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I- I lost them, Ten and Kun,” Taeyong managed to stutter out, bringing Mark out of his minor panic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your friends? You lost your friends?” Taeyong nodded, wiping his eyes once more. Mark felt himself freeze up not knowing what to say next, but there was no one else here and Taeyong needed someone’s help, so it would have to be Mark’s, and he forced himself to keep the conversation going. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you know where they might be?” Taeyong shook his head, his bottom lip trembling. “It’s okay, hey it’s alright, I’ll help you find them, yeah?” For the first time since Mark walked into the bathroom, Taeyong looked him in the eye and his expression made Mark’s heart break. He looked so </span>
  <em>
    <span>grateful</span>
  </em>
  <span>, like Mark was his knight in shining armour. The fact that they hated each other didn’t really matter anymore tonight, for all Mark knew Taeyong might be too out of it to even recognise him, he was just going to have to put their differences aside for one night and one night only. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You will?” he whispered, and Mark almost cooed at how his big puppy eyes somehow grew even rounder and shinier. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s no problem,” he tried to give his best reassuring smile, and Taeyong smiled back weakly. God how did they get here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Mr Spider Man…” Taeyong mumbled, a slight slur to his words - oh. If Taeyong was drunk then taking care of him was going to be… interesting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hold up, have you been drinking?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong, apparently feeling much better, smiled mischievously, “Maybe a little bit,” he giggled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Great, that means he’s been drinking a lot - </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mark thought to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, let’s go get you some water,” Mark sighed, standing back up. He watched Taeyong’s drunken attempts to get up for a few moments before sighing and holding out his hand to help him up. It would be even more shitty of him to ditch Taeyong now, he was just gonna have to ignore any stares and babysit a grown man, even if that involves holding his hand for a few seconds. The grown man in question managed to stagger to the door on his own, but when Mark opened it and they were faced with the crush of bodies completely filling the club, Taeyong grabbed onto his arm tightly. Mark didn’t have the heart to shake the poor boy off, so he let him cling on, leading him through the building to the bar and ordering some water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he checked on Taeyong, Mark realised his hand had crept down to hold his own, clearly worried about getting separated in the crowd. As much as he knew he should be bothered by it, Taeyong’s hand was so warm and fitted snugly into Mark’s, so he let Taeyong hold it tightly, trying to act casual when Taeyong leaned into him even further like he was snuggling up to him. Mark handed over the glass of water when it was brought to him, but instead of taking the glass like he expected, Taeyong leant in and took the straw in his mouth, sipping away innocently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the time it took Taeyong to drain the glass, Mark had silently contemplated how the hell he got here and why the hell Taeyong looked so cute like this. There wasn’t a hint of the boy he knew on stage anywhere, there was no fire, no bite, just… soft. Everything about this Taeyong was soft - his hands, his voice, his movements, even his hair looked soft and petable, the white ears settled sweetly on his head. If Mark had one more drink in him, he’d think about reaching up and adjusting his ears, but he didn’t have that drink, so he didn’t think about it, not at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm, much better,” Taeyong called over the music once he was done, the colour was returning to his face, so clearly he was feeling a little more sober. Sobering up was one thing, but helping Taeyong find his friends in this huge crowd was another matter altogether. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have your phone on you?” Mark shifted to lean against the bar, the hand in his moving with him rather than letting go. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why, do you want my number?” Taeyong winked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ohmygod, I mean to text your friends.” Mark massaged his forehead in exasperation, trying to ignore how much Taeyong flirting with him gave him butterflies. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit, of course, god how could I be so stupid.” Taeyong’s face fell and he looked like he might cry again all of a sudden, dropping Mark’s hand to whip his phone out of his pocket and send a text. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not stupid,” Mark mumbled, not sure if Taeyong heard him or not. Maybe not, since his eyes stayed glued to his phone, chewing on his bottom lip as he watched the bubble that indicated Ten was typing a reply. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, they said to meet by the photo booth.” Taeyong looked up, his expression rapidly changing to one of relief. The photo booth was over on the other side of the building, meaning Mark would have to escort Taeyong there if he was going to have any chance of finding his friends again. Mark cocked his head in the direction of the booth and they made their way there in silence, the music thankfully hiding how Mark made a little surprised noise when Taeyong once again grabbed his hand so they wouldn’t get separated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With the photo booth in sight, it suddenly dawned on Mark that he would probably have to speak to Taeyong’s friends, who probably hated him almost as much as Taeyong does. But glancing over his shoulder at Taeyong, who was looking at other peoples’ costumes with wide, curious eyes, chewing on a corner of his shirt sleeve and holding Mark’s hand tightly, Mark figured maybe, just maybe he wasn’t hated, and everything would go smoothly. When Taeyong spotted his friends though, of course all of that went out the window. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ten! Kun!” He grinned, overtaking Mark and tugging him along, their hands still interlocked. Shit, this was going to take some explaining. The music was quieter here so the couple spotted them from a little way off, but close enough that Mark could see both of their expressions simultaneously process through relief, confusion and finally hysterics. It would be funny if Mark wasn’t rapidly being pulled towards confronting the two, hand in hand with his drunk rival. Taeyong finally dropped his hand to hug the couple, and Mark scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, feeling it would be bad manners to disappear back into the crowd before at least saying hi. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened to you?” The taller guy, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kun?</span>
  </em>
  <span>, fussed, fixing Taeyong’s hair and outfit like it was a nervous habit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got lost and ended up in the bathroom but he came and rescued me!” Taeyong explained, gesturing to Mark and tugging him into the conversation with a hand on his elbow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” Mark said as casually as he could manage, giving a small wave. He’d seen Taeyong’s friends a few times backstage, caught a few glimpses of them in the parking lot or in the corridors, but had never actually spoken to them. Talk about a power couple, they seemed to have a whole conversation in just a glance, probably wondering what the hell Mark and Taeyong were doing together other than fighting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, nice to finally meet you.” Kun spoke up first, Ten also giving him a polite nod and Mark couldn’t help feeling slightly intimidated by them, especially since they were dressed as a vampire and a cop, not particularly friendly characters. Damn, why did Taeyong have to have such cool friends?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark scratched the back of his neck again, feeling awkward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I should probably, y’know, find my own friends again, they must be wondering where I am.” He laughed nervously, making his way back into the crowd. He couldn’t even get one step away though, as Taeyong grabbed his wrist, making Mark turn and face him. Shit, there go his sparkly puppy-dog eyes again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for, um, everything…” Mark could only stand there in shock at Taeyong’s sincerity, “So, thanks Mr Spider Man,” he giggled. Before Mark could say anything, Taeyong was suddenly leaning in and planting a small peck on his cheek. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ohgod ohgod ohgod.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, uh no problem man,” Mark fumbled, leaving promptly as his cheeks were heating up by the second, a blush spreading across his entire face and neck as he heard Ten and Kun burst out laughing behind him, mocking and teasing Taeyong for his little parting gift. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck you Taeyong</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Mark stewed, </span>
  <em>
    <span>making me look stupid infront of people, fuck you and your soft lips. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He wiped his cheek furiously as he pushed through the crowd once again, but it didn’t stop the slight tingling sensation where Taeyong’s lips had touched his skin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took a bit of texting back and forth, but eventually Mark found his way to his friends in a quieter part of the club. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where the hell were you?” Xiaojun cried as Mark jogged over to them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhh, I got lost I guess.” This clearly wasn’t the right answer, as Xiaojun threw his hands up in the air, frustrated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You too? Ugh, God, Hendery’s wandered off and keeps sending us cryptic texts wanting us to “find Waldo”.” He made air quotes to emphasise his point, and Mark had to press his lips tightly together so as not to laugh at Hendery’s hilarious dedication to his costume. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they eventually found Hendery, he was stood in the centre of a huge crowd of people, standing stock still like he was an illustration in a book. Everyone in their group, except Xiaojun, fell about in howling laughter, wondering how long he’d stood there just for his dumb joke. Xiaojun gave him a slap on his arm for worrying them, but couldn’t hold back his smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The whole fiasco with Taeyong had sobered Mark up a fair amount, but as it was only midnight, he got a few more drinks in his system and soon felt the steady buzz of energy burning through his veins, and they partied on into the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark’s story of where he went came out at some point, but he didn’t include the part that it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong</span>
  </em>
  <span> he took care of, instead some drunk stranger he felt sorry for. When asked if he got his number, Mark answered that he did know his Twitter handle - that was technically true - and every one of his tipsy friends encouraged him to send the boy a DM. It was only later that night, once everyone had else been dropped off home and Mark was the last one in the Uber, that he did take up their suggestion. The typing bar blinked at him expectantly in Taeyong’s DMs, Mark’s thumbs hovering over the keyboard, thinking what on earth to say. They’d never DMed each other before, hell, they’d never even spoken civilly to each other before tonight, but Mark was raised right, and felt it was the polite thing to do to check if he was okay. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>hey, idk if you even remember what happened tonight hahah, but i just yknow wanted to ask if u got home okay after how upset you were. so yeah, hope ur good hahaha. see ya </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark’s right thumb hovered over the send button, and he blinked in disbelief when the car drove over a bump in the road and his thumb hit the screen, sending the message. Although he meant to send it, that didn’t stop his mind reeling with all the things Taeyong might respond with - maybe he’d block him, maybe he’d tell him to fuck off, maybe he’d thank Mark again - who fucking knows with Taeyong. He shoved his phone into his pocket as the Uber reached his place, and didn’t think about Taeyong for the rest of the night, which lasted all of fifteen minutes as he passed out on top of his comforter with his costume still on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Taeyong woke up, he felt like he was two seconds away from death. He also felt really warm and someone breathing on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong sat up slowly and winced from the pounding headache he was experiencing. Luckily for him, it was dim inside the room he was in and Taeyong looked around to find that the person breathing on him was Ten, and Kun was on his other side with his face shoved into the pillow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why am I in Kun and Ten’s house? Why am I in their bed? What the hell happened? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Taeyong pondered to himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong tried to look for his phone, but he couldn’t see it anywhere in the room and he couldn’t feel it in his back pocket and he began to panic. He couldn’t afford to lose his phone at the club, that phone was expensive and-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Taeyong? Are you up already?” he heard Ten mumble.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong turned around to face his friend, “Ten did I lose my phone?! Also, why am I in your bed?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s in my bag, you got so drunk last night I had to hide it from you so you didn’t do anymore dumb shit, and we tried making you sleep in the guest bedroom but you got lonely and cried so you came and cuddled with us. Also, next time we go to a club party I’m handcuffing you to me so you can’t get lost again, Kun almost broke into hives from how stressed he was over you running off!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s all I did? You’re being too dramatic Ten, you’ve ran off tons of times in the past!” Taeyong whined.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, maybe I have, but at least I don’t kiss the people I say I hate with every fiber of my soul when I’m too drunk. Mark had the funniest look on his face when you did it too! I wish we had recorded the moment.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What does Ten mean by saying he kissed Mark he would never do that, would he?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s no way I did that, I hate Mark why the fuck would I even choose to be near him like that ew.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well clearly you don’t hate him as much as you say because you two were holding hands, and if I remember correctly you told him ‘thanks Mr. Spiderman’ in that voice you do when you’re trying to get your way, and then you just planted one on his cheek. If you don’t believe me you can ask Kun, he was there to witness it all too!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no way, this wasn’t real, this was not happening to Taeyong right now. The shock of what he did was hitting him and all of a sudden Taeyong felt nauseous. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ten, I’m going to throw up what the hell! I can never face Mark again after that he’s totally going to use this against me at our next rap battle and I’ll be done for! I’ll never be able to live this down and he’s going to hold it against me for like, forever basically!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the midst of Taeyong’s panic, Kun stirred and looked at Taeyong and his fiance, “can you guys go somewhere else? I’m tired and hungover and my arms are sore from carrying Taeyong into our house.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Baby, tell Taeyong about how he kissed Mark, he doesn’t believe me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kun rubbed at his eyes, “yeah about that, did Mark do anything to you while you were lost? Do I have to beat his ass backstage because I won’t hesitate to tear him a new one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong recollected his thoughts from last night, he remembered drinking way too fast and he remembered getting lost. His breakdown in the club bathroom was still a bit fuzzy but he did remember Mark finding him and taking care of him, which made Taeyong feel all kinds of butterflies in his stomach that he tried his best to ignore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark had been so gentle and although he was a bit awkward, he made Taeyong feel better and safely got him back to his friends, something that he didn’t ever expect Mark to do for him. They were supposed to be enemies, but enemies didn’t do this type of stuff for each other, and they definitely didn’t give each other thank you kisses and hold hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong sighed, “You don’t need to beat up Mark but if you want to punch someone you can go ahead and just punch me in the face for being a colossal dumbass last night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aww it’s okay Taeyong, everyone makes mistakes when they’re drunk. Yours just happens to be really funny but also kind of bad, but it’s okay! Maybe Mark was drunk and he forgot too?” Ten offered in an attempt to console Taeyong.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He needed to see his phone now, Taeyong was hoping that no one saw them together and took pictures because if they end up on Twitter, he was done for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong shot out of Ten and Kun’s bed and saw the bag holding his phone on the floor. He frantically fished through it and pulled out his phone. There’s a huge sigh of relief that Taeyong let out when he saw that his phone didn’t blow up with notifications, but it was short-lived when he saw that there’s a DM from Mark waiting for him to open up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let it all process through his mind for a few moments before screaming at the top of his lungs, scaring the absolute crap out of his friends in the process.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Taeyong what the fuck!” Ten yelled back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m in danger, everything is ruined, I need to renounce my identity and move into the woods, I need to sell all of my belongings and just fucking be anywhere but here because Mark sent me a DM and I just </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>it’s not going to be good and I don’t have enough money to pay him off for whatever blackmail he has ready to post.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ Taeyong, give me your phone. I'll read it for you and tell you if it’s really that bad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong threw his phone onto the bed and Ten quickly unlocked his phone and opened the message. He read it and immediately burst into giggles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh Taeyong, you don’t need to move away this is the cutest shit I’ve ever seen! Look at this babe,” Ten showed Kun the message, “isn’t that just adorable?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kun nodded, “I guess I won’t have to worry about Mark anymore, that is really cute.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait I wanna see, what did he say?!” Taeyong got up from the floor and crawled back into bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten handed him back his phone and Taeyong read the DM from Mark. He felt his face get hot and Taeyong couldn’t hold back a smile from spreading on his lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh? Is that a smile I see Taeyong? Don’t tell me you’re getting a crush on Mark now. Or should I say Mr. Spiderman~”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten made kissy faces at Taeyong, who was still looking at his phone screen completely dumbfounded by this chaotic series of events. He heard Kun hiss at Ten to stop but all Taeyong could focus on was how Mark’s message made him feel flustered and he couldn’t even deny Ten and say that he didn’t have a crush on Mark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Because Taeyong was falling for Mark, and he was falling </span>
  <em>
    <span>hard</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Even though it made him really nervous to admit it to himself, he couldn’t deny it anymore and Taeyong didn’t know what was supposed to come next. Mark would never feel that way about him and here he was developing the most hopeless crush in the entire world on his rival.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… I have a crush on Mark,” Taeyong said softly before bursting into tears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten immediately stopped his teasing once he saw Taeyong begin to cry, he pulled him in for a hug and patted his head, “Oh Taeyongie, it’s okay. You’re going to be okay. At least you’ve finally accepted your little crush on him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah but what does it even matter if he’s never going to like me like that? He hates me, remember?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kun rubbed Taeyong’s knee, “but does he really though? If he hated you he wouldn’t have done all that he did for you last night. Maybe if you let go of this idea that Mark is your enemy and that he hates your guts, you’ll be able to see that maybe he’s developed a bit of a soft spot for you after seeing you be vulnerable. Maybe if you let Mark see the other sides of you that weren’t related to your on-stage persona, he could possibly realize that maybe he can come to like you too?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s silence, except for Taeyong’s sniffling, and then, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kun, your mind is so sexy I’m going to marry you so hard.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Two hours later, Taeyong was in the kitchen with Ten and Kun, still having not responded to Mark’s DM and Ten was </span>
  <em>
    <span>yelling </span>
  </em>
  <span>at him for taking too long.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Taeyong, you are ruining this for yourself, if you take too long to respond he’ll think that you ghosted him and it’s going to discourage him from reaching out again come </span>
  <em>
    <span>on-</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong whined, “I’m trying, okay! What can I say that doesn’t give away my crush on him and doesn’t sound too desperate but also gives him the hint that I’m vibing with him? This is hard!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m really trying not to beat your ass right now but you and Mark are both being so annoying just text him saying you’re okay-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But how do I do that without embarrassing myself!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kun leant back when he saw Ten throw his sandwich at Taeyong, sighing deeply and taking another sip from his coffee.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If he’s asking about your wellbeing and took the risk to message you knowing that you two have this intense rivalry with each other, then nothing you do can drive him away except for letting this go on any longer you fucking Cancer Sun!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s rich coming from a Pisces who had sucked Kun’s dick like a million times and still thought he didn’t like you!” Taeyong retorted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay and? We’re engaged to be married so as far as I can tell I’m still winning!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kun joined in, “can you two please stop yelling before we get a noise complaint? Dealing with the neighbors last time was really painful and I would like to not go through that again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine! I’ll text him back right now! Just to prove to you that I can!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten laughed, “okay Taeyong, whatever you say to make yourself feel better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong furiously typed on his phone, pouting and occasionally glaring at his best friend from across the table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I do remember everything from last night, sorry if I weirded you out or anything I can get… weird when I’m drunk. Thanks for taking care of me, I’m feeling a lot better now :]</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did it! See, look, I sent it!,” Taeyong shoved his phone in Ten’s direction, “You can’t make fun of me anymore!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, good job Taeyong. Let’s see how you react when Mark responds again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as Ten predicted, when Mark texted him again a few minutes later, Taeyong yelped and shrunk himself into the corner of Ten’s couch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The texts between Taeyong and Mark continued for days. He thought that maybe after making sure that he was okay after the Halloween party that Mark wouldn’t feel the need to continue communicating with him, but Taeyong was kind of happy to see that it wasn’t the case at all. It didn’t hurt anymore now to admit that Mark was really funny, Taeyong often found himself trying to hide a laugh in public when Mark sent him a funny meme. Something about the way Mark was a bit awkward and dry with his humor made Taeyong really giddy and it made the fuzziness in his stomach increase tenfold whenever his phone lit up and Mark was the reason. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Taeyong was out with Ten and his phone chimed, he couldn’t hide his excitement to see who it was that texted him, and if it ended up being Mark there was no hiding the dopey smile that would pop up on his face. Ten would tease him, asking if it was his boyfriend Mark Lee who was texting him and Taeyong would get red in the face and tell him that Mark was not his boyfriend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even though Taeyong kind of wished that he was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They talked constantly all week, Taeyong sends Mark pictures of his breakfast in the morning and at night they send each other their favorite songs to listen to before bed. Taeyong learned new things about music from Mark, he admires his passion and his intelligence and Taeyong doesn’t know how it’s possible for someone so perfect to exist in this world. He even found himself jotting potential lyrics in his notes app when he thinks about Mark sometimes, and Taeyong felt absolutely no shame in it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As it got closer to their next show, Taeyong felt the anticipation building up inside of him at the thought of seeing Mark again. He felt butterflies in his stomach when he wondered about what Mark is going to wear or how he’s going to style his hair this time and Taeyong knows he’s whipped for him at this point, but he doesn’t want it to ever stop. The butterflies in his stomach made him lightheaded and he daydreamed about the way he kissed Mark at the party at the most inconvenient times but Taeyong loved it and he loved the way the world was suddenly in a soft rose colored filter after letting Mark into his little bubble.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The night before the show, Taeyong was snuggled in bed after smoking a joint and he was scrolling through Twitter when he saw a picture on his timeline that knocked the breath out of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>@longassride99: goodnight guys :) see you tomorrow haha [3 photos attached]</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just leave it to Mark to post a series of bedtime selfies to send Taeyong into a panic. It was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>unfair</span>
  </em>
  <span> for Mark to look so soft and cute but also hot at the same time. His hair was fluffy as if it had just dried from a shower and Taeyong tried not to focus too hard on the fact that the sleep shirt Mark was wearing showed off his arms. After staring at the photos for a good 10 minutes, he shoved his face into his pillow and screamed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon after, a text from Ten came in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Omg did you see what Mark tweeted</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait, of course you did, you have his post notifs on. Anyways, what do you think about them? ;)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong called Ten through Facetime and the call connected almost immediately, when he saw Ten’s face Taeyong just screamed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know Taeyong, I know. You’re just in love, it's okay. Kun says hi by the way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ten this is so unfair! Look at him he’s so fucking cute and I just want to pinch his cheeks and make him breakfast and suck his dick and make him smile, what the fuck!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you just post some of your own then? Send him in a little panic of his own.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong sighed, “but what if he doesn’t think about me like that too and he doesn’t see them or maybe he’s already asleep he hasn’t texted me back yet and-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my gosh Taeyong, trust me when I tell you that you aren’t the only one who’s in love here. Just do it okay, I’m going to hang up now and you’re going to make yourself cute for Mark and it’s all going to work out you’ll see.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight Taeyong! I’ll be waiting for the previews!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten ended the call and Taeyong slumped back into bed. His best friend’s ideas did always work well for him, but Taeyong had a hard time believing in him this time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He opted for just a few pictures of him with the most recent plushie that he got and posted it to Twitter with the caption “soft TY hours.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong let the tweet gain traction and switched to Youtube. He was in the middle of an ASMR baking video when he got a text from Mark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s a cute plushie Taeyong :)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong’s heart jumped and he quickly texted back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Thank you!! I got it the other day. It's really soft! I’m hoping the plushie isn’t the only cute thing in the photo though </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pressed send and immediately regretted it, why was he being so bold? Right now was not the time for that. Taeyong was about to send a “haha just kidding” when he saw that Mark was already typing back a response. He quickly exited out of the app and continued watching his Youtube video as if everything was completely fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the notification popped up, Taeyong hesitated for 5 minutes before ultimately opening up the message.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Haha don’t worry Taeyong you look cuter</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that’s when Taeyong’s heart was fully stolen by Mark Lee, the night before he was going to see him again.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>twitter: </p><p>ash: <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/>bea: <a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mark finally tells his friends about how he's been feeling, and a sudden emergency puts Taeyong in the passenger seat of Mark's car for an extended amount of time.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Who's ready for another update? :D</p><p>Theres a brief mention of marijuana use at the end, it's a very small bit but I'll still mention it just in case for anyone who might feel uncomfy. PSA don't drive under the influence of anything PERIOD. All characters in this story make the safest decisions, even if they're a little emotionally constipated.</p><p>You can follow Bea and I on twitter if you wanna keep up with updates and maybe some snippets of future chapters! We are both full of surprises and some of them involve this au...hehehe...</p><p>Twitters:<br/>ash: <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/>bea: <a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“So here’s the thing!” Mark slammed his palms down on the coffee table, making Donghyuck jump at the sudden loud noise. Mark was over at his place along with Hendery, sprawled on the living room floor and hanging out before Hyuck’s finals week. He hadn’t planned on telling his best friends he had a crush on his arch enemy today, but his brain was exploding at this point and he just needed to tell </span>
  <em>
    <span>someone</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ, Mark what is it?” Hendery put down his phone to look at Mark like he was insane. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ouch, but valid.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed deeply, his palms getting clammy knowing what he was about to do to himself. “So…” The two boys looked at him expectantly, already looking like they knew this was going to be bad. “Maybe… IhaveacrushonTaeyong.” He said it so fast and so quietly he might have worried they didn’t hear, if not for Hyuck nearly toppling over backwards and Hendery planting his hands on the table, staring at him with comically wide eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Donghyuck laughed incredulously. Jesus, this was more humiliating than Mark thought it would be. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think… I maybe like Taeyong?” The words had barely left his mouth before the pair erupted into chaos, Donghyuck throwing himself on the floor laughing, Hendery yelling “911 yes hello?!” at his phone, and Mark burying his face in his folded arms, hoping maybe he could just hide from the truth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god you’re so funny,” Donghyuck wheezed, wiping away a tear, but his face fell when he saw Mark looking up at him solemnly. “Oh my god, Hendery he’s serious.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Hendery stopped shoving his fist in his mouth and immediately calmed down, exchanging a look of disbelief with Donghyuck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You could be a little more understanding,” Mark whined, crossing his arms. It was hard to believe it himself, but this was the truth of the situation, over the past week he’d really fallen for Taeyong. It’s not like Mark could help it, after their exchange at the Halloween party he began seeing more and more new sides of Taeyong. He learnt that in the evenings he liked to take a bubble bath and watch a movie with a beer, he learnt that Taeyong names all his stuffed animals after influential people in his life, he learnt his favourite meals, what time he wakes up in the morning, how he got into rap. Mark saw how cute he was in the evenings after a busy day, how dedicated to music and creating he is, how similar their senses of humour are. At first, he was confused, mad at himself for even thinking about liking Taeyong - but as the days passed of not being able to get Taeyong out of his head, he had to admit it to himself, he was falling </span>
  <em>
    <span>hard</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry dude, but you kinda sprung this on us out of nowhere.” Hendery patted his knee reassuringly, “Last time I checked, you hated his guts.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark shrugged, looking at his lap like it was the most interesting thing in the world “Things… changed I guess. I changed my mind about him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mark, having a crush isn’t a death sentence sweetie, why do you seem so upset?” He looked up at his best friends, and felt a tug on his heart seeing their equally worried faces. Fuck, he really should’ve told them sooner, deep down he knew he could confide in his clostest friends, and it suddenly hit him how many feelings he’d kept bottled up for weeks, acting like his whole world wasn’t being turned upside down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just-” He tried to find the words to answer Donghyuck’s question, but there were just too many thoughts swimming around his head at once to give a solid answer. So he sighed, and figured he might as well start from the beginning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re telling me </span>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the guy you helped at the party?” Mark nodded, blushing slightly at the memory of warm lips on his cheek. “Damn, he must be smitten too after that.” Donghyuck turned to Hendery, who nodded in agreement. Mark’s ears pricked up at that, looking up from his now-empty beer can that Donghyuck had fetched for each of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oop, he’s whipped,” Donghyuck giggled, “And I mean that after you were so chivalrous he must at least be cool with you, right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess you could say that,” Mark replied, biting back a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh God I don’t like that look, what did you do?” Hendery folded his arms in an interrogating fashion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t do anything! I just DMed him on Twitter to ask if he got home okay and then we just sort of, didn’t stop.” His friends’ jaws dropped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You mean you were DMing Taeyong, your “sworn enemy”, this whole week and didn’t tell us anything? I text you about every cute boy I see!” Donghyuck cried, almost yelling at Mark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like a you problem,” he laughed, dodging the empty can thrown in his direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god, what kind of things do you talk about?” Hendery questioned, always a sucker for gossip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anything really, he tells me a lot about what he’s up to and I tell him about work and we talk about music a lot. He’s working on some new stuff at the moment and he’s really happy with how the songs are turning out, says he just needs the lyrics.” Mark realised he was rambling, a goofy smile on his face, and stopped himself from telling them every single thing he now knew about Taeyong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds gross, I’m so happy for you.” Hendery grinned, patting his shoulder supportively, and Mark smiled back happily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah seriously, hope it goes well for you.” Hyuck leaned over Hendery to fist bump Mark, and he couldn’t stop the smile on his face now. Getting everything off his chest felt so much better, like a physical weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could think about more important things - like how he was seeing Taeyong tomorrow night. Oh shit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the afternoon was spent talking firstly about Donghyuck’s most recently spotted cute boy, the new lighting guy at the club, “quiet but mysterious” according to him. Secondly, the three of them worked together to plan Mark’s outfit for Friday night in stupid amounts of detail. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the next evening rolled around, Mark having a few ideas jotted down for his verses, he was ready to see Taeyong, even though he had no fucking clue how their performance would go now that they were no longer enemies. He was a little disappointed that the selfies he posted last night didn’t earn much of a reaction from Taeyong, Mark felt he looked pretty hot in them, but Taeyong only favourited the post. What was more important though, was how Taeyong actually initiated flirting with him - sort of? It had taken Mark a while to understand what he meant, looking between Taeyong’s selfies and his message for a good five minutes to figure out what the cute thing he was referencing was. Even when he decided to shoot his shot and call Taeyong cute, he still wasn’t sure he’d said the right thing until he got a long keysmash in return, and had smirked to himself at how much that affected Taeyong. He definitely didn’t think about what Taeyong would be like if he got really brave and teased him endlessly, giving him endless compliments and how flustered Mark could make him. Fuck it, he did think about that, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no more faking your feelings, Mark Lee,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he said to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His shift finished at lunchtime, so he had the whole afternoon to get ready for the club (read: sit in his underwear on his phone for two hours). His phone buzzed with a notification, it was from his friends’ groupchat, so he ignored it like always. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>short king dh: </b>
  <span>mark </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> hey mark </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king xj:</b>
  <span> hyuck summoned you mark </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh: </b>
  <span>MARK </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eiffel tower:</b>
  <span> uh oh don’t make him mad</span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king xj:</b>
  <span> mark we know the tea REPLY </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The messages pinged through one after the other so quickly that Mark huffed in annoyance and opened up the chat, knowing when Donghyuck got determined it was best to just do what he wants. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>eminem:</b>
  <span> what </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh: </b>
  <span>don’t “what” me i’m ur best friend :( </span>
</p><p>
  <b>cucumber:</b>
  <span> i think we’re ALL mark’s best friend </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king xj:</b>
  <span> nah i’m just here by association </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh: </b>
  <span>EVERYONE BE QUIET </span>
</p><p>
  <b>cucumber:</b>
  <span> tea </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> SHUSH </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> SHHHHHHH *bangs gavel* </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> okay SO. MARK. what are u gonna do to impress ty tonight :0</span>
</p><p>
  <b>eminem: </b>
  <span>idk tbh</span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> BORING give me a proper answer</span>
</p><p>
  <b>eiffel tower:</b>
  <span> shbfbfdjhvdhj </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eminem:</b>
  <span> i might actually wear that outfit u told me to wear yesterday </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> omg 🥺 really? </span>
</p><p>
  <b>cucumber:</b>
  <span> omg stfu is someone actually taking hyuck’s advice? </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh: </b>
  <span>stopppp:(( </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eminem:</b>
  <span> yeah i think it’ll actually look p cool </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> YESSSSS I WAS BORN TO BE A FASHION GURU </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king xj:</b>
  <span> cdshcbhd someone come collect him  </span>
</p><p>
  <b>cucumber:</b>
  <span> dibs not me </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eiffel tower:</b>
  <span> dibs not me </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> MARK do not listen to them, send me a pic of the outfit? 🥺</span>
</p><p>
  <b>eminem: </b>
  <span>sure </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> I LOVE U </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eminem:</b>
  <span> haha now say that to renjun </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king xj:</b>
  <span> WHO’S RENJUN </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh: </b>
  <span>😳😳</span>
</p><p>
  <b>cucumber:</b>
  <span> SPILL </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His phone exploded with notifications of the groupchat yelling at each other and Mark giggled to himself, putting his phone down to get ready for the performance. Taking Donghyuck’s advice, he began rummaging through his t-shirts, remembering his conversations with Taeyong to think what he might like to see Mark in. He thought back to when Taeyong had adorably showed off his stuffed animals in an Instagram live and had mentioned how much he liked sharks, so he pulled out a powder blue shirt with a graphic print of a shark on the front. It was pretty cute, the shark smiling happily, which was kind of stupid because sharks can’t smile, but Mark hoped Taeyong would like it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He next pulled out his denim jacket and some light blue jeans - Hyuck had insisted that double denim was back in fashion again - accessorised with a long red belt. Leaving his hair unstyled, he layered a few silver necklaces over the shirt and left the oversized belt untucked so it hung down by his knees. After snapping a quick selfie in his mirror, he sent it in the groupchat now that everyone seemed to have calmed down a little. He read through the backlog of messages and huffed out a laugh at a few of the exchanges - mainly Donghyuck being teased by the others for having a crush on a boy he’d never spoken to - and Mark felt good. Content was probably the best way to describe it, he felt good about the show and good about opening up to his friends, Mark felt like with every worry now off his chest all he had left to do was have fun on stage. The beat for their performance was fun and bouncy, and Mark couldn’t wait to rap in a style he didn’t normally go for, and the excitement of not knowing what might happen on stage with Taeyong made it impossible to stop jiggling his leg every time he sat down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he picked up The Terrible Three, there was only a small amount of teasing comments about Mark ‘trying to impress his boyfriend’ as they got into the car, all determined to squeeze onto the backseat together. Mark sighed loudly when it took them too long to buckle up, Yukhei insisting on having his arm around Xiaojun’s waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That isn’t safe, you know.” Mark glared at them in the rear view mirror. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re just jealous,” Yukhei grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hit him for me, Dery?” Mark sighed, laughing when he heard a smack and an “ow!” from the back seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The wait for the performances went smoothly as usual - Mark joined the others backstage as Hendery performed with his other labelmates, and Mark smiled proudly when he ran back to join them. Even though Hendery hadn’t been at it long, it was clear that he was progressing much faster than the other novices and would soon be given his own solo stage. The five of them huddled together in a group hug, Hendery’s graduation was now in sight and they cheered him on noisily, celebrating all the way back to Mark’s dressing room. Mark found himself at the back of their little pack, walking side by side with Donghyuck, but as he ran ahead to catch up with the others, Mark heard a familiar voice behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mark?” He spun around and saw Taeyong, poking his head around the corner, his blond hair styled into bouncy waves. Mark couldn’t stop a smile spreading across his face, he could hear his friends continuing down the corridor but didn’t look back at them, knowing they’d tease him for any interaction he had with Taeyong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, what’s up?” he smiled. Taeyong stepped fully around the corner in a black bathrobe, the dainty gold chain around his neck making him look expensive and untouchable, and so fucking pretty. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s up yourself,” Taeyong grinned. “I came out here to see what all the noise was, I didn’t expect it to be you.” His expression was warm and unguarded, and Mark reveled in the change in atmosphere since they were last here together to perform. In some unspoken agreement, all their tension was dropped, and although Taeyong held tightly onto his robe - clearly in the middle of getting ready - Mark felt the shift, they didn’t have to guard themselves from the other anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, my friend is on the verge of a great promotion, sorry they’re a bit rowdy right now,” he laughed, scratching the back of his neck in a nervous habit. Taeyong smiled sincerely, his eyes turning up into little crescents. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good for him, tell him I said congratulations?” He phrased it like a question, like he was asking Mark if he wanted to take that more intimate step into their friendship.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was silly, forming bonds with your friend’s friends was </span>
  <em>
    <span>less than</span>
  </em>
  <span> a big deal, but after everything he’d felt towards Taeyong in the past, any step away from hostility felt special. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will,” he replied earnestly. Mark wanted desperately for this secret little chance meeting to go on for longer, but their performance was fast approaching and he needed to get ready. “Well, I’ll let you get back, unless you’re planning to go on stage like that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong snorted, “It would still be cuter than your outfit,” he teased back, but there was no bite to his words, just playful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ouch,” Mark fake pouted, giggling, “I guess we’ll see in about half an hour.” He took one last look at Taeyong, making it obvious he was checking him out, even fixing his eyes on Taeyong’s exposed thighs - which he pressed together under Mark’s gaze. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oops</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he didn’t mean to create any sexual tension, so Mark left it at that, already feeling his cheeks turning pink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess we will, see you later Mark.” Taeyong giggled cutely, turning the corner, swishing his robe in a painfully sultry way as he went. Mark stood there long enough to just make out the sound of what could only be Taeyong </span>
  <em>
    <span>skipping</span>
  </em>
  <span> along the hall in his slippers. Mark’s cheeks burned all the way back to his own dressing room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Mark found himself at the bottom of the stage steps, microphone in hand, he couldn’t stop fidgeting nervously, shifting from one foot to the other and endlessly straightening his clothes. He looked back at his friends, who all gave him encouraging smiles or a thumbs up, yelling words of encouragement that Mark couldn’t make out over the music as the MC introduced him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The lights on the stage dimmed and Mark could hear nothing but the screams of the crowd, hungry to see the duo on stage again after two weeks. The beat started up, bouncy and fun, and Mark took one last deep breath before making his way onto the stage. The first thing he saw was Taeyong, skipping onto the stage and flashing a sunny smile at Mark. His wavy hair bounced around adorably and he had changed into a casual outfit of a fitted baby pink t-shirt and basketball shorts. Although the outfit was very low-effort compared to his usual glamour, Mark found himself very attracted to this version of Taeyong too, he looked cute and flirty and boyish - like he would take Mark out for ice cream and turn Mark’s snapback back-to-front so he could kiss him properly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark beamed back, jogging to the front of the stage to address the crowd, asking if they were having a good time, letting the beat loop a few times before starting his first verse. He had thought very carefully about his lines, wanting to match the vibe of the song and maybe send a message in the process - so he rapped about wanting someone who’s playful and fun, who can flirt without shame because he’s not the best at that stuff himself. The entire verse, Mark couldn’t even glance at Taeyong, performing to the crowd in case looking at him made Mark forget his words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he finished up, he looked over at Taeyong and saw him at the other end of the stage waving at people in the crowd. As if he knew Mark was staring at him, Taeyong brought his microphone up to his mouth and turned to Mark, winking at him before looking back to the crowd to recite his verse. It shocked Mark how much emotion he included, rapping about how he needed a boy who could bring him out of his head when he got lost, who could understand him and love him as devotedly as you love a highschool crush. Mark found himself smiling softly at the lyrics, loving how the comparison to a highschool crush matched so well with the feel of the song, and coincidently how loopy he was for Taeyong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the performance continued in a similar fashion, both getting gradually bolder, playing around a little with dancing to the beat, shy smiles shared between the bright lights and roar of the crowd. The song came to an end, and Mark held out his palm, Taeyong high-fiving him with a giggle before giving one last wave to the crowd and bounding off stage - Mark doing the same. Finally, he could let himself smile giddily when he reached the stage steps, knowing the audience couldn’t see him there, and on a whim, he turned to look across the stage to where Taeyong exited. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To his surprise, Taeyong was doing the same thing, standing on the stairs, turned around to try and spot Mark. Embarrassed, Mark immediately flushed red and whipped his head around, not missing the smile Taeyong gave him which Mark wasn’t sure what it meant, before racing down the stairs to meet his friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They retreated to his dressing room, Mark half-hoping Taeyong would pop out from around a corner again, but pushing that thought from his mind when the questions came rolling in, the five of them squeezed onto the couch together, shoulders and knees bumping. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You two were so cute!” Xiaojun clapped his hands excitedly, jostling his boyfriends as he bounced happily on the cushions. Mark beamed shamelessly, his heart fluttering slightly thinking back to playing around on stage with Taeyong and the gentle smiles they shared. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When’s the wedding?” Donghyuck teased, clapping Mark on the shoulder, and Mark just giggled in response, still running on the high of performing. The four of them fell into easy chatter, occasionally teasing Mark for his crush, but mostly leaving him to daydream about those precious three and a half minutes. As if on cue, his phone buzzed with a text from Taeyong, and Mark sat up in his seat, excitedly opening the text, until he read what it said and his face fell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>something’s wrong :( come to my room? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark lurched up from his seat, the lively conversation halting and Donghyuck getting up to peek at the text over Mark’s shoulder as he processed it. Had he done something wrong? If he had, then why would Taeyong want to see him? Surely Ten and Kun were there so if he was upset why weren’t they helping him? Did they get in a fight? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Worries swirled around Mark’s head, so he let his feet move and take him to Taeyong’s dressing room without a word. He could hear the others talking as he hurried out of the room, Donghyuck telling them about the text, but soon they were out of earshot and Mark sped up to jog down the corridor. Thankfully he still had the sense to knock when he reached the door, Kun opening it with a face full of concern. Without a word, Kun let him into the room, revealing Taeyong sat in his desk chair, Ten holding an ice pack to his foot. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” He asked Taeyong hurriedly, a little out of breath. Taeyong looked over at him with wide eyes, his face a little paler than usual. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-” He hissed as Ten applied too much pressure. “I don’t know, I rolled my ankle really bad and it’s swelling up so I don’t know what to do and Ten and Kun are both high so they can’t drive me to the doctor.” Taeyong’s words came out in a jumble, his voice thick like he was about to cry. Mark stood frozen in the middle of the room, putting together what Taeyong had just said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You,” Mark paused, not sure if he’d interpreted the situation right, “You want me to drive you to the doctor?” Taeyong nodded sadly, looking between Ten and Kun worriedly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can never ask for what you really want, huh.” Ten huffed, trying to cheer Taeyong up while still tending to his ankle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please Mark, you don’t even know how grateful I’d be.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>There go the puppy eyes again.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mark thought to himself, resisting the urge to smother Taeyong in a hug to help him feel better. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I will, but no doctor’s surgery will be open this time of night, it’ll have to be the ER.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong sighed, weighing up the options. “Even if I have to wait there all night I just want to know for sure if anything’s broken.” Mark nodded, pulling his car keys out of his pocket. They could well be there all night, but Mark could tell a mile away how much this was worrying Taeyong, and he wanted him to be okay too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll bring my car around to the front, yeah?” Mark looked between Ten and Kun like they were Taeyong’s parents taking care of him, and they both nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll meet you there with Taeyong and his bags, want us to grab your bag too?” Mark’s heart swelled a little with the sincerity of Kun’s question; Taeyong had such good friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, I’d really appreciate that. If my friends are still there maybe you can explain to them where I’m going?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, meet you out front in five.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Within five minutes, Mark was tapping his hands nervously on the roof of his car, parked right outside the front door. At last, Ten opened the door of the club to let Kun and Taeyong through, Kun with an arm around Taeyong to keep the weight off his foot, and Mark wanted to cry watching Taeyong limp across to his car, Ten bundling their bags and coats onto the backseat. He rushed over to open the passenger door, Taeyong giving a small “thank you” as he carefully got in, Mark shutting the door for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know you’ll look after him, Mark.” Ten reassured, taking Kun’s arm. “Keep us updated?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course. Are you two okay getting home?” More injuries was the last thing Mark wanted, not sure quite how high the couple were. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we’re just getting the bus, we’ll be fine.” Kun replied, pulling two pairs of gloves out of his pocket. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well, be safe, I’ll text you if anything happens.” With that, Mark got into the car, glancing at Taeyong and exchanging a small but reassuring smile before he drove off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was odd having Taeyong in his car - it was an environment that was very much </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> that he never expected Taeyong to be in. They drove in silence for a while, working their way out of the city, which was thankfully quiet for a Friday night. Out of the corner of his eye, Mark kept watch over Taeyong, biting his nails with his phone clutched in his other hand. Sometimes he’d look at his phone, the light of the screen illuminating the car, but mostly he looked out of the window in silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The suburbs were quiet, a few neon signs of stores lighting the way, but when they hit the first major junction, there were brake lights as far as the eye could see ahead of them. Mark groaned, hitting his head on the steering wheel when they came to a stop in the traffic jam. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I really thought we were gonna get there quickly… guess not,” he sighed, looking over at Taeyong as he didn’t reply, typing on his phone instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“According to this,” he said eventually, flashing a road map on his phone at Mark, “Once we get through here we’ll be there in twenty minutes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark groaned, rubbing a hand over his eyes and groaning again when he realised he’d just smudged his eyeliner. “That’s a long time when you’re in pain though. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>, if I knew we were gonna hit all this traffic I would have stopped to get you a fresh ice pack and some water, God I’m an idiot.” Mark scanned the road ahead defeatedly, letting the car roll forward a few feet as the traffic crawled along slightly. He almost jumped out of his skin when Taeyong laid a hand on his shoulder, cold from holding his ice pack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, it’s not that painful. Plus there’s nothing we can do right now.” Taeyong smiled gently at him, his hand still on Mark’s shoulder, the steady weight helping him relax. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right.” Mark slumped back in his seat, letting go of his tense muscles - there really was nothing they could do except wait. “Want the AUX cord?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong giggled for the first time since his injury, and the rest of the drive flew by as they listened to some of Taeyong’s favourite songs and talked their hearts out about music. It was only when Mark turned into the hospital grounds that he realised why they were really on a late night drive, too wrapped up in their conversation to think of anything other than how close they were becoming. He found a parking spot close to the entrance and killed the engine, trying not to look at how expensive the spot would be to park in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can see some wheelchairs over there, I’ll get you one.” He turned to open the door, but Taeyong’s hand flew up to grab his wrist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t. I don’t need one, just… help me walk across?” Mark opened his mouth to point out that it would be much less strain on his foot, but seeing how Taeyong curled into himself, biting his fingernails again, he decided not to cause a fuss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time Mark had got out of the car and jogged round to the passenger side, Taeyong was already trying to stand up, wincing when he set his bad foot on the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here,” Mark offered, holding out his arm for Taeyong to pull himself up. Fingernails digging slightly into Mark’s forearm, he let Taeyong haul himself out of the car, balancing on one foot as he shut the door behind him. Just as Mark was thinking how the hell they were going to get to the entrance, Taeyong wobbled dangerously and Mark reached out on instinct to catch him, steading a hand on his shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s no shame in using a-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know. Just, here, hold me like this.” Taeyong pulled one of Mark’s arms around his waist, throwing his own around Mark’s shoulder. Like this, Mark could support his weight much better - he just had to ignore how he’d never noticed before just how tiny Taeyong waist is, Mark’s face already turning red. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They set off like that, Mark taking small, slow steps and Taeyong limping severely beside him. Somehow, they reached the main reception and quickly got Taeyong checked in before taking a seat in the large waiting area, Mark finally dropping his arm from around Taeyong’s waist, praying he hadn’t noticed how Mark’s fingertips dug possessively into his soft frame. Mark left Taeyong in his clinical plastic seat to grab their bags, and when he returned Taeyong dug through his backpack frantically. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit, I left my jacket at the club.” Mark glanced over, it was November and Taeyong was </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> only in a t-shirt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here.” He rummaged through his own duffel bag and pulled out a spare hoodie. “Want this?” Mark couldn’t help blushing a little at the implications of lending Taeyong his hoodie, but he said to himself it was just for the purpose of keeping him warm - definitely not because he wanted his hoodie to smell like Taeyong afterwards. Taeyong took the sweater gratefully, pulling it on straight away, and Mark was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> prepared for how adorable he looked in Mark’s clothes, the sleeves falling even longer on Taeyong’s slimmer frame. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They waited and waited to be seen, doctors and nurses flitting in and out attending to more urgent cases, understandably. When at last a nurse approached them, Taeyong was slumped in his chair, close to falling asleep, and Mark nudged him awake gently. Mark got to come with him to the radiology department, the nurse insisting that he took Taeyong there by wheelchair, and Mark following close behind with their bags over his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once in the radiology department, Mark tapped his foot impatiently the whole time Taeyong was having his x-ray, sitting in a much quieter waiting room with half a dozen other people. It was 1 AM when they were invited into a consultation room, an x-ray of Taeyong’s ankle up on a screen between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The good news is nothing is broken,” the nurse explained, Taeyong sighing in relief. “But I’m advising that you don’t go to work for about a week, and don’t do any exercise that puts weight on it until it feels completely better. In the meanwhile, get lots of rest, keep that leg elevated and take painkillers if you feel you need them to keep the swelling down.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong nodded, “At least it’s not broken,” he replied in a small voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is a nasty sprain, so you were right to get it checked.” The nurse smiled reassuringly, “I’ll give you this ankle brace to wear to keep it supported.” He stood up to get one from a cabinet, giving Mark the opportunity to meet Taeyong’s eye, patting his knee supportively from the chair beside him and Taeyong smiled weakly back at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From the consultation room all the way back to Mark’s car, Taeyong didn’t say a word, his gaze focused on his lap as Mark pushed him around the maze of a hospital. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are you feeling?” Mark asked when they finally got back into the car again. Taeyong looked exhausted, his eyes drooping and movements slow as he put his seatbelt on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fuckin’ exhaused,” he replied, voice smaller than ever, so Mark reached to the backseat of his car, feeling around for something he knew would help. He brought out a travel pillow and Taeyong’s eyes lit up, taking it happily when Mark wordlessly offered it to him. He couldn’t hold back his smile at how adorable Taeyong was, getting this excited over a neck pillow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re a lifesaver, Mark.” He beamed, settling comfortably into his seat, the pillow snugly around his neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remember to text Ten and Kun before you fall asleep, yeah?” Mark started the car, pulling out of the parking space and back onto the main road as Taeyong typed busily on his phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for reminding me, and thank you for driving me all the way here, I’ll pay you back for gas, don’t worry. I’m just so grateful, Markie, what would I do without you?” he mumbled sleepily, his baby voice reminding Mark of exactly how drunk Taeyong talked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark was eternally thankful for the dark, as his face flushed bright red at the nickname - no one called him ‘Markie’ - but something about Taeyong saying it gave him butterflies. Mark smiled to himself as Taeyong typed his address into Google Maps on Mark’s phone where it was mounted on the dashboard - God he really was head over heels for this boy. But before Mark could piece together a reply, Taeyong’s eyes were closed, his breathing slowing down, and within five minutes he was fast asleep. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Taeyong is falling /hard/ and Mark's love language being thoughtful gifts and gestures really isn't helping. Will they actually go on a date? No one is really sure</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>our boys are finally getting somewhere!! this is a whole Ash chapter so i hope u enjoy taeyong being sappy and falling in L word :') </p><p>ash and i have also been working on lots of other fics on the side lately (including an epilogue for this fic which isn't even finished yet BHDCHDHDS) so look out for those! </p><p>enjoy! &lt;3 </p><p>you can find us on twitter: </p><p>ash: <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/>bea: <a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Everything was pitch black and fuzzy, except for the light jabbing that Taeyong felt on his left shoulder. He tried to move away from the weird feeling but it only increased the more he moved. A voice softly spoke and Taeyong could just barely make out what was being said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Taeyong, which apartment building is yours? I think I’m kind of lost…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why was the voice so familiar to him?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“My phone GPS sucks please wake up, I’m sorry”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong opened his eyes and saw Mark fidgeting in the driver's seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” Taeyong managed to say, his throat feeling rough.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh thank god you’re awake, I’m in the parking lot of your apartment complex and I just realized that you never gave me the exact building or apartment number and I didn’t know what to do,” Mark responded, a huge sigh of relief getting released from his chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took a few moments for Taeyong to fully register what was being said to him, he was barely coming to terms that he was in fact not asleep anymore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Taeyong finally managed to respond, he was already feeling sleepy once again, “It’s building C, and I live on the second floor. The room number is 386 and there’s a doormat with a cat on it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay, building C, cat doormat, upstairs...I can remember that...hopefully. Wait, Taeyong, are you falling asleep again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No response was given back to Mark, Taeyong had returned to his nap and didn’t look like he was going to wake up again anytime soon.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next time Taeyong woke up, he groaned and felt soreness in his entire body. He was still in the same clothes he wore yesterday and Taeyong hated the feeling of going to sleep in jeans. As he slowly sat up, he felt a small pain in his ankle and winced. His foot had been elevated with a few of his pillows and Taeyong wasn’t really sure how this all happened. All he remembers is falling asleep in Mark’s car after leaving the hospital and quickly texting his friends that he was on his way home. Everything after that was just a blur and Taeyong grabbed his phone that had been plugged into his charger and set on his nightstand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he woke the screen, Taeyong immediately saw the long thread of text messages from his group chat with Ten and Kun along with a few from Mark as well. He decided to open his group chat messages first and save the ones from Mark for last. Taeyong cringes at how nearly incoherent his messages were to his friends, he could barely make out what he intended to say and his friends confusion was completely justified. Ten at one point even threatened to track Mark down and beat his ass until he read that Mark had actually sent them DMs telling them that Taeyong was safely in bed and resting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong sent them a good-morning text and a picture of his leg that was elevated. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ten: oh my gosh :( I’m so sorry for leaving the bong on the floor this is all my fault</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kun: does it hurt a lot Taeyong? Ten has been fretting about it all night he hardly slept and stayed up all night watching youtube videos</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: Ten! Stop apologizing it was an accident! Say sorry again and I’ll smack you</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: also, it doesn’t hurt too bad unless I move my bad leg around too much. I’m not allowed to work for a week and I have to mainly stay in bed which is going to get so boring :(((((</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ten: well! We’re coming over today to keep you company for a bit and Kun is going to bring your favorite soup!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kun: can you ask Mark where he lives, I want to send him something for taking care of you</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: didn’t he DM you guys though? Why can’t you ask him yourself?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ten: kun wants it to be a surprise! Also he’s too shy to ask Mark and refuses to let me DM him for him</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: fineee I’ll try and ask him, also please bring me a hot chocolate with whipped cream when you guys come over later</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong switched over to his message thread with Mark and smiled. His face got all warm and Taeyong brought his blanket up to cover his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: hi taeyong I just left your place and I hope I elevated your leg right??? I didn’t know where you had more pillows and I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable when you slept</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: also I hope that you’re feeling better in the morning and make sure to take painkillers after eating </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: I’m really bad at this but here’s a picture of a cat smiling [image attached]</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong set his phone down on the bed next to him, and proceeded to squeal into his pillow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How did Mark manage to unintentionally be cute all the time??? It made no sense!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took a quick selfie of himself in bed and snapped a picture of Mark’s questionable elevation techniques.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: [images attached] I just woke up! The pillows did a good job I’m surprised that they didn’t move around while I was asleep,,,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: haha cute, I was worried it wouldn’t be enough but it’s good that it was</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: your friends are kind of scary I don’t want Kun to come after me in my sleep</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: omg Kun is definitely not scary, in fact I kind of need your address</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: …</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: he’s going to come after me isn’t he…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: No! I promise it’s not bad at all! Ten and Kun like you a lot especially after what you did for me :]</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: wait did they get mad when you told them I carried you?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: you what?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: you were knocked out and I felt bad waking you up so I carried you to your place, you kind of mumbled a bit but I didn’t really understand what you said. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>OH.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong should’ve connected the dots earlier, how else was Mark supposed to get him into his own bed without a little bit of carrying him around? He felt embarrassed, what if he did even weirder things in his sleep and Mark was just being too nice and not admitting it? Oh gosh what if he even drooled on him? Mark probably thought he was weird and wasn’t going to talk to him ever again and he was going to have to move away, change his identity, and start a new life somewhere far away from him-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His phone went off 3 times, mere seconds from each other, and Taeyong was torn away from his self deprecating internal monologue to check and see who it was that texted him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: please don’t apologize or feel bad it’s all okay I promise</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: you weren’t hard to carry at all! Definitely better than carrying around Yukhei after one too many shots at the bar</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: Anyways, I swear it’s okay. I’m glad to do anything to make sure that you get home safe</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong slowly lay back down in his bed, letting his mind and emotions process what Mark just texted him. How could Mark just say things like that so easily, things that made Taeyong’s face run warm and squeal into his pillow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: okay I won’t apologize then even though I really really want to!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: thanks again for everything you did, you didn’t have to even respond to my text last night when I first fell but you did and it made me really happy and feel relieved! Everything was just a huge mess last night but thanks to you everything went okay :]</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that last text, Taeyong put his phone under his pillow and decided that he was not going to worry over how Mark was going to react to his sappiness and instead figure out how he was going to keep himself occupied for a whole week at home.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Taeyong lasted a day and a half before he started to become restless. There were only so many ways he could rearrange his plants and his closet (which was currently color coded and organized by brand). He never let his apartment ever get too cluttered or dirty so there wasn't anything that he could clean to keep himself busy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten and Kun helped keep him entertained for a few hours, but after they left, he just went right back to feeling itchy and restless all over again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong had never felt this bored in his life, and he still had the rest of this week to go! He was so out of his mind with boredom that he didn’t even feel inspired to write anything new, he opened his laptop once and tried to produce something in vain. By the next hour, he had opened up his browser and started watching a movie on Netflix instead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the sun moved closer west and the shadows in his house grew longer, Taeyong felt his stomach grumble and he whined. Cooking was a real pain with one of his legs not at 100%. He nearly fell on his face this morning and Taeyong was not planning on going into any emergency rooms. In the midst of his internal dilemma, Taeyong did the most reasonable thing that would give him instant gratification.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>@leetaeyong: cooking is hard when you can hardly walk...what are some good restaurants that do delivery…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the responses rolled in from his fans, Taeyong let himself get distracted with reading them. A good half an hour was spent liking tweets from his fans who were more than happy to give him suggestions and even provided pictures that made his stomach growl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong was close to giving in and seeing if he had some leftovers that he had forgotten about when the doorbell rang twice. He didn’t know who it could be, Taeyong hadn’t invited his friends over and they hadn’t told him that they were coming over either. Anyone who was close enough to know where he lived wouldn’t show up spontaneously, except for Ten but that was a completely different story.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong managed to wobble towards the door and when he opened it he saw a woman he didn’t recognize holding a plastic bag.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The woman smiled at him as she spoke, “Hello, I have a delivery for Taeyong?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s me…?” he answered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, here you go! I made sure everything was in the bag. I hope you enjoy!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The woman walked away and Taeyong was left standing in his front door with food that he didn’t order. Was Ten trying to play a prank on him again? Would the containers just have food that he absolutely hated, further teasing him about his sad situation of not being able to cook dinner without being a hazard to himself?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong texted Ten, asking him if he was the one who ordered food for him. When he didn’t respond, he texted Kun who replied to him with a picture of Ten taking a nap on their couch. With both of his friends completely ruled out, Taeyong was left with even more questions. He decided that he might as well open the bag and see exactly what this mystery person ordered for him. Whatever it was, it smelled really good and made Taeyong’s mouth water.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Taeyong opened the first takeout box, he nearly cried. The plate was full of chicken that was probably one of the best things that Taeyong has ever smelled. Along with the chicken was a container of noodles and rice and he was overwhelmed with the amount of food. This could easily feed two to three people and was way too much for him in one sitting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong took pictures of all the food and opened his Twitter app.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>@leetaeyong: [images attached] okay...which one of you was it? I'm not mad, I just need to know who to thank for all the good food :]</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The replies that he received didn’t really answer his question, and Taeyong decided to give up his search for his hero so that he can dig into his dinner.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Taeyong chewed on his food, he wondered who it could be that did this nice gesture for him, if Ten and Kun weren’t the ones then maybe it was someone else he was close to, but just who exactly? Taeyong didn’t have a lot of close friends that would know his address, he wondered if maybe his family did it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He only managed to get through half of the food before Taeyong felt like he was about to explode, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about dinner for tomorrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His phone went off as Taeyong was throwing one of the empty containers away and he nearly tripped when he saw who it was that texted him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: hey so I saw your tweet and um well I guess I was the person that sent you food? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: I mean it was me, yeah</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: I was the one that ordered you food through postmates</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: sorry if it’s kind of weird I just felt bad and didn’t want you to hurt yourself so yeah</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong covered his face with his hands and felt his heart melt, there was no way that Mark really did this for him, it was all too much for Taeyong to handle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: hmm...I’m going to need some proof!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: [screenshot attached] </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: is this proof enough?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, the screenshot Mark had sent him was a confirmation for the order that was placed and delivered to his house. Taeyong was left speechless and he hobbled back to his room to process this all in bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: Mark! You really didn’t have to do this for me. How much was it? I'll pay you back!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: nope, you’re not going to pay me back</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: and I know I didn’t have to but I wanted to help you out</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: ...fine! I still feel kind of bad though,,,,it was a lot of food it must have been a lot</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: don’t worry about that Taeyong, I promise that it’s okay</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: let yourself be taken care of, you’re a nice person</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong stared at Mark’s last message for 10 minutes. Mark...</span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted </span>
  </em>
  <span>to take care of him? Mark cared about him enough to buy him food and have it delivered to his house? Mark wanted him to be safe and happy?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This crush that Taeyong had developed on Mark was beginning to grow out of control. He didn’t even know if the feelings were mutual and here he was letting himself get caught up in fantasies involving him and Mark cuddling on his couch watching movies with the lights off and the heater purposely turned down a few degrees so that it would be cold enough for Mark to cuddle closer to him to keep him warm. At this point could Taeyong even continue to call it a mild crush? Because the sharp pain he felt in his chest at the thought of these feelings being one sided didn’t happen when it was just a crush. It felt like something more, something that Taeyong wanted to fight for with every single fiber in his being for it to work out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He did want to let himself be taken care of, but Taeyong didn’t want anyone but Mark to be the one to do that for him. The thought of Mark not being close to him and imagining Mark doing these types of things for someone else hurt Taeyong. He wanted to be the only person in Mark’s life that got this type of special treatment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This definitely wasn’t just a crush anymore, Taeyong was full-on falling for Mark and the realization was deafening to the rest of his thoughts. All that could run through his mind was </span>
  <em>
    <span>“oh god oh god oh god I’m having deeper feelings for someone who barely even sees me as a friend now oh no what am I going to do what’s going to happen to me how will I manage to act normal around Mark knowing that I’m falling in love with him?!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong eventually texted Mark back, thanking him again for the food. The two of them got caught up in a conversation about movies after Taeyong mentioned that he's probably watched every single good movie there was on Netflix already. Mark enthusiastically insisted that he could give Taeyong at least 3 movies he hadn’t watched yet and they spiralled into a long debate over the ranking of popular films.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At one point Mark had mentioned a movie that Taeyong didn’t really care for, and the both of them got fired up over it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: it’s not even a good movie it’s boring! I didn’t even make it through it because I fell asleep!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: that’s because you didn’t watch it with me</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: you missed out on the best parts by falling asleep! I’m going to prove to you that it’s a good movie!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: how could you possibly do that?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: We’re going to watch it together! And you’re going to appreciate the movie more, I won’t let you fall asleep this time!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: oh you’re on for this challenge, once I’m fully recovered enough so that once we’re done with the movie and I still end up hating it like I can walk myself out!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: well that won’t be necessary because I know you’ll change your mind :)</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong went to sleep that night feeling happy at the idea that Mark wanted to watch a movie with him, both of them alone...together...it almost seemed like a date.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hoped with all of his heart that Mark felt the same way.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Thursday night when Taeyong found himself extremely bored again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The nap he had taken earlier that day wasn’t doing him any favors as now it was 1 in the morning and Taeyong couldn’t fall asleep. The Indica he smoked from his bong in the living room had yet to kick in and in the meantime he was trying to watch ASMR videos to put himself to sleep. His skin was tingly and he felt warmth all over his body, but he still wasn’t drowsy. On top of that, he was beginning to crave weird combinations of food and there was no way he was going to be able to get anything this late.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong was feeling a bit brave, whether it was the weed or an unexpected surge of confidence, and grabbed his phone to text Mark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: hey are you awake??? :D</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: what are you doing up so late?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: I can’t sleep :( I took a nap earlier and I'm not tired at all now! Plus I'm super bored too! And hungry...really hungry…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: do you like ice cream?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: wait ice cream sounds amazing right now, with sprinkles! </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: what flavor is your favorite??</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: hmm...they're all good...all ice cream is good!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: okay okay, you’re not wrong there</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mark: I know you want to sleep but can you stay up for another 30 minutes??</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: well yeah, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep now even if I wanted to</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong: why?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark doesn’t text him back, which he finds odd. Why would Mark ask him to stay up longer if he was just going to fall asleep himself? Now Taeyong is 100% alone and his high was making him hungrier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He manages to find some Cheez Its in his cupboard, and although they were a bit stale it helped sate his hunger for a bit. It wasn’t as satisfying, but Taeyong had to make do with what he had in his kitchen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At around 1:40 in the morning, Taeyong was sitting on his couch and staring at his potted succulents and wondering if he could repurpose one of his old pipes into a succulent pot when he heard his doorbell ring. The two minutes it takes to get up and walk to his front door felt like it took forever, and Taeyong was sure that the person probably gave up and left already. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he opened the door and saw Mark standing there with a grocery bag and a nervous smile on his face, Taeyong felt like a pair of rose colored glasses were suddenly placed over his eyes and everything was soft and fuzzy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi...um I brought something for you? Is it okay if I come in?” Mark said a bit nervously. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>twitter: </p><p>ash: <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/>bea: <a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>a little bit of peace and softness before the angst picks up again 😗</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>HELLO. This update is a short one but I hope you guys aren't too mad about it after you're done reading 🥺A lot has been building up to this moment and theres still a lot more to develop !!! Markyong are still a little messy but don't worry...you'll see soon!</p><p>(please let us know what ya'll think of this update 🥰)</p><p>follow us on twitter for updates!</p><p>ash: <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/>bea: <a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Taeyong took a few seconds to respond, the fuzzy pink filter still taking over his mind, “yeah! Come in, come in, you must be cold, I'm sorry I made you wait.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark removed his shoes and set them next to the shoe rack by the door, Taeyong barely managed to stifle a giggle at his mix-matched socks. They were really cute, and high Taeyong really wanted to squeeze the crap out of Mark in a tight hug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although Mark had technically been to his house before, this was the first time Taeyong was actually awake and able to share the moment with him. Would Mark like his house? What if he thought his plant collection was weird? Oh no he forgot-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Woah it really smells like weed in here- oh wow is that a bong on your table?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong had forgotten to put away his things and now Mark was staring wide eyed at his bong that was still packed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s mine I kind of smoked earlier because I couldn’t sleep so that’s why the smell is still around. I can open a window if the smell bothers you. I have a diffuser in my living room too!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark shook his head, “that’s okay, I don’t mind the smell, I was just surprised because I didn’t think you smoked weed. You’re really soft you don’t seem like the type-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think I’m soft??” Taeyong cut in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>High Taeyong please don’t get overly confident right now you’re going to scare Mark away!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well yeah because… anyways I don’t want this to melt, I hope strawberry is okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong smiled, “that’s more than okay! You’re like my hero right now, I didn’t have any good snacks anywhere and it was making me sad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark started pulling the tub of ice cream from the bag, along with a few other things. “I also got you sprinkles because why not, you know? Also, I couldn’t pass up whipped cream either.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my gosh you have to let me eat it from the can, please Mark?” Taeyong asked with hearts in his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only if I can too!” he responded with a laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do it for you!” Taeyong suggested. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong what the hell are you saying right now?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grabbed the can and pulled the top off, “here, open your mouth wide!” Taeyong got on his tiptoes to properly angle the can into Mark's mouth and squeezed down on the nozzle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s a bit of a mess on Mark’s shirt, he couldn’t contain his laugh and ended up spilling all over himself. Taeyong then fed himself some and let the sweet cream melt in his mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After they’re done downing whipped cream straight from the can, they remember that there’s still a tub of ice cream that's defrosting on the table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me get us some bowls and spoons, I really can’t wait for this ice cream! I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited for ice cream before, it feels extra special for some reason!” Taeyong said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I’m honored that you feel like it’s extra special, I guess I could say the same thing too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach, they ran wild after anything Mark said and he thought he might just overheat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time they’ve portioned out what they want to eat, more than half of the tub is gone and Taeyong pouts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh no...it’s almost gone…” he said solemnly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay, I’ll just have to come by and buy you another one,” Mark responded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah Mark, you can’t just say something like that. It seems like some form of promise you’re getting my hopes up for.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay time to stop talking now Taeyong, that was oddly emotional for the situation.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I will! Anytime you tell me you want ice cream I’ll get you some.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong grabbed the container of sprinkles and began shaking them onto his ice cream, “it feels different when you say it, because with you I’ll actually feel sad if you don’t keep your promises that sound like a form of commitment.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Now you’ve done it Taeyong, you’ve scared him off and now he’s going to leave and think you’re weird for the rest of your life!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To keep himself from further digging his grave, Taeyong dug into his ice cream and shoved a little bit too much ice cream in his mouth. Mark was staring at him with wide eyes and Taeyong could feel the dread building up in his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t ever want to make you sad Taeyong, I’d feel like crap if I knew that something I did upset you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Taeyong asks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Taeyong you-well there’s, um,” Mark points to his mouth, “you have a little something there.” Before Taeyong can pull up his phone to check his reflection, Mark is already using his thumb to wipe away the ice cream that had gotten on his chin. His touch lingers on his face for a few seconds and even when Mark pulls his hand away, Taeyong can feel the heat spreading through his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is so embarrassing, I promise I’m not this messy when I usually eat! Let me get some paper towels.” Taeyong got up from his chair abruptly and went to his cabinets to hide his blushing face and Mark’s heavy stare. He can hear Mark get up from his chair too and Taeyong nervously continues to look for paper towels like his life depends on it. When he does manage to find them he internally curses himself for throwing them up so high. He struggled to grab them until Taeyong felt Mark’s body press up behind him and reach for the paper towels without an issue. Taeyong turns around and is face to face with Mark, he could see Mark put the roll on the counter behind him but Mark doesn’t move his hand afterwards, effectively caging him between his body and the counter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong built up enough courage to make eye contact with Mark, the same heavy stare being directed at him that made Taeyong feel weak. They don’t say anything to each other and Taeyong is sure that Mark could probably hear the way his heart was thundering in his chest. Realistically, Taeyong could easily get out or gently push Mark away from him if he wanted to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the thing was, Taeyong didn't want that at all. He so badly wanted to pull Mark closer to him but he didn’t know if that was allowed in their tiny space that was beginning to get suffocating from all the thoughts they weren’t sharing out loud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong heard his phone chime on the table, probably something from Twitter that could definitely wait but on instinct his body moved forwards. Mark’s hand quickly responded to his movement and made its way to his shoulder, keeping Taeyong in front of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mark…” Taeyong finally says. His voice doesn’t feel like his own, his throat rough.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sees Mark look between his eyes and his lips, silently asking Taeyong if it was okay to step closer, if Taeyong wasn’t going to run if he closed the space between them even further.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong knew for sure that he was the one that moved first, no matter how many times Mark tried to argue with him about it later on. He got on his tiptoes and was nearly touching noses with Mark, and the hand on his shoulder moved to touch his face. Taeyong looked at Mark again and slowly nodded his head, giving himself the confidence to finally close his eyes and gently press their lips together. Doing what he’s been dreaming about for the past few weeks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark didn’t push him away, he didn’t tell him he’s weird, he didn't do anything that Taeyong was worrying himself sick over. He kissed Taeyong back and didn't let go of him. There was no noise in the apartment apart from the occasional car honking in the distance and the staggered breathing between the both of them. It’s all too much but not enough at the same time and when they pull away from each other, Taeyong almost cried at the fact that their first kiss was so short.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s almost as if Mark could read his mind, because instead of letting it all end like that, he lifted Taeyong onto the counter and went right back in for more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They kissed for what felt like hours, Taeyong savored the feeling of Mark’s soft lips against his own, the way Mark can’t keep his hands in one spot, the way it feels when his bottom lip is suddenly in between Mark’s teeth. The light brush of Mark’s tongue against his lip makes Taeyong melt in Mark’s hands. It takes all the self control he has left in him to not tease Mark back and press his hips against him. Taeyong wants to do it so badly, he wants to wrap his legs around Mark’s waist and have him carry him to his bed to further push the boundaries. Despite how hard it was to fight against his desires, Taeyong knew that he wasn’t mentally prepared for the image of Mark holding himself above him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When Taeyong placed a hand on Mark’s chest, he felt the thumping of his heart. The pace matches his own and Taeyong couldn’t describe how happy it made him feel to know that they were both on the same wavelength. Mark wanted him just as much as he did, and that was enough for Taeyong at the moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they finally managed to pull away from each other, an extremely hard thing to accomplish, Taeyong could see how rosy Mark’s lips had become after how much time they spent kissing each other. He knew that his probably look the same, if not worse. Mark gently stroked his face with his thumb and Taeyong smiled at him. He looked to the kitchen table and laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The ice cream is all melted now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Taeyong returns to the stage and Mark faces up to his feelings with some advice from his bffs.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>taeyong is back babey!!! i was in my element writing this chapter w the amount of pining, ridiculousness from mark's friends and generally being dramatic fjdbvdfj </p><p>also if you're here for the side renhyuck they're getting somewhere too in this chapter! :D </p><p>please feel free to let us know what you think either with a comment here, a reply on twitter or ash has a curiouscat! </p><p> </p><p>You can find the both of us on twitter! </p><p> </p><p>ash: <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/>bea: <a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Mark, for the love of God, it’s not like Taeyong died.” Donghyuck stood behind Mark at the vanity, his hands on his hips. They made eye contact in the mirror before Mark and Donghyuck fixed a glare at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not the same though, Hyuck!” He sighed, folding his arms indignantly. Maybe he did let it show that he missed Taeyong, but that’s only because he really did! Donghyuck had tried his best to offer comforting words and distractions, but there was nothing he could do to really solve Mark’s problems unless he could magically make Taeyong’s leg heal faster. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, I’m happy for you that you like him and you’re flirting and shit, but can you just compete against Tiger Lily and not throw a temper tantrum about it?” If they weren’t best friends, Mark would think Donghyuck was really mad at him, but Mark sighed since he knew Hyuck was right, as usual. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not throwing a temper tantrum,” he mumbled. Donghyuck raised an eyebrow at him in the mirror and Mark at least relaxed the pout he had on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s super talented, Mark. She’s wanted to compete on stage with you for ages, just put on a brave face for her tonight and next week you’ll have your catboy back,” Hyuck huffed, his hands still firmly on his hips. Mark ignored the catboy comment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She is hella talented, but she’s not even my labelmate, so don’t take this the wrong way but why do you care?” Mark challenged, continuing his stare-off with Donghyuck’s reflection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell anyone,” he lowered his voice to a whisper, looking a little flustered, which was unusual for Donghyuck, “but she’s Renjun’s cousin.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Renjun? The sound guy?” Mark marvelled and Donghyuck shushed him, flapping his arms around worriedly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” he hissed, “He’s finally started flirting back so don’t mess this up for me.” Mark laughed and shook his head, Donghyuck really could be a drama queen over anything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine, fine, I’ll do it for you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ew, that’s gay,” Donghyuck grinned, “but also thank you!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just because we’re both gay doesn’t mean you can say that every time I’m nice to you!” Mark called over his shoulder as Donghyuck skipped out of the room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark had a habit of being a little dramatic too, and as he got ready for the stage he felt more and more excited to be performing, the sound of the crowd waiting for him was always enough to spike his adrenaline. It was certainly cool getting to work with someone new, Tiger Lily was good at her craft and oozed confidence, but the chemistry just wasn’t there no matter how hard Mark tried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He socialised a little after the show out of good will, but once he was finally alone in his car his smile fell from his face and he could mope without anyone telling him not to. Never one to be blind to his true thoughts, Mark knew just how he felt about Taeyong - he needed him. Not just for someone to compete against, or perform with, or befriend, Mark found that he had grown to seek comfort in Taeyong simply just being there with him. Without Taeyong, the stage wasn’t as fun to be on, and their time apart made him realise how much inspiration Taeyong gave him, even if all the songs he had inspired so far were because Mark was mad at him. He owed so many of his streams on Spotify to Taeyong, so many wins, so many verses and emotions and scribbles of lyrics on paper. Mark realised his life was shaped around Taeyong now, it had been for at least a year, and the more he thought about all of this, the more he wanted Taeyong in his arms and to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>his.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Those thoughts brought him to Taeyong’s front door at stupid o’clock at night, a pint of ice cream in his backpack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about kissing Taeyong that night, but he never expected to find himself there, crowded into Taeyong’s personal space, Taeyong’s big, shiny eyes just begging Mark to make a move. The sensation of Taeyong’s lips on his own sent a thrill up Mark’s spine, and kissing him against his kitchen counter at 2am was the most surreal feeling he had ever experienced. He couldn’t help smiling against Taeyong’s mouth, he could tell just from the way Taeyong kissed him that this wasn’t a mistake, that Taeyong wanted him too. Mark had experienced enough kisses that meant nothing to know what one felt like, and the amount of want Taeyong showed him as his tongue pressed like honey against his own made Mark’s head spin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Simply kissing Taeyong felt like heaven, electricity buzzing under Mark’s fingers as he pulled him closer - there was no way they could take this any further, but oh how Mark wished he could put his hands all over Taeyong without fear that it would be too much too soon. He caught glimpses of how Taeyong’s body reacted to him, his back arching slightly and even a barely-audible gasp when Mark sank his teeth into Taeyong’s plush bottom lip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong giggled when they pulled away, tipping forward to let his forehead rest on Mark’s shoulder. Mark was still standing between Taeyong’s spread thighs, and being between his legs simply like this - with plenty of distance and many layers of clothes separating them - Mark felt dizzy already. He stepped back and Taeyong slipped daintily off the counter, giggling again as he moved past Mark and back to his bowl of ice cream, polishing it off as Mark busied himself tidying up the handful of sprinkles that had been scattered over the kitchen table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shit. What was he supposed to say now? Was he allowed to kiss Taeyong again? Would Taeyong want to kiss him again? Why wasn’t Taeyong saying anything? He took a few deep breaths, shaking his head as if that would shake his frantic thoughts out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Finished!” Taeyong sing-songed as Mark turned around and he got up and padded over, placing his bowl in the sink and turning back to Mark with sparkling eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” he gasped, and Mark couldn’t help himself smiling at how adorable he was, “Wanna see my plants?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong’s bedroom was very </span>
  <em>
    <span>him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>polaroids on the walls, trinkets posed on bookcases, customised shoes on display, a power blue duvet covering his bed, which they sat on the edge of as Taeyong eagerly showed Mark every plant on his windowsill. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You tired?” Mark laughed as Taeyong yawned in the middle of his sentence, his eyes becoming droopy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm a little,” he hummed. “Are you?” Mark laughed again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Taeyong, it’s 2:30 in the morning, yes I’m a little tired.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong carefully put his umpteenth succulent down. “I completely lost track of time! You should’ve told me you need to get home!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I like hearing about your plants,” Mark smiled gently, and in a bold move, reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind Taeyong’s ear. Maybe it was the time of night, maybe it was the cannabis smell getting to him a little, but the shy smile that spread over Taeyong’s face made Mark’s day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I recognise that hoodie,” he chuckled, pointing to his hoodie that he lent Taeyong the night he took him to the hospital. His smile spread into a smirk when he noted how it lay crumpled on top of a pile of clothes, obviously worn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, thank you for lending it to me!” He jumped up and fetched the sweater, “Sorry I couldn’t get it back to you sooner.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay,” Mark replied, kicking himself for how dreamy he sounded as he gazed up at Taeyong, illuminated in the yellow glow of his bedside lamp. He could stay here forever, trapped happily in their own little pocket of warmth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took a while for Mark to get to the front door again, not really wanting to leave Taeyong when they were having such a good time together. But he had to get home and sleep, so he reluctantly gathered up his belongings and let Taeyong see him to the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for coming to visit,” Taeyong smiled sleepily, looking like he was going to pass out any second. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anytime. I’m glad I could help you feel better.” Taeyong giggled again and shuffled forwards to throw his arms around Mark’s neck in a tight hug. Wrapping his arms around Taeyong’s waist, Mark breathed in against Taeyong’s shoulder, squeezing him tightly before letting go. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get better soon!” he called as he made his way back to the elevator, and Taeyong waved goodbye to him until the doors of the elevator closed. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>To Mark’s relief, the days after he visited Taeyong passed quickly. Any spare time he had he spent worrying about what the kiss meant, and his friends weren’t exactly helping. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>uhhh so. maybe i kissed taeyong last night?</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had messaged the groupchat the morning after his visit. The response he got was wholly predictable and unhelpful as usual. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> YOU WHAT </span>
</p><p>
  <b>cucumber:</b>
  <span> FINALLY </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king xj:</b>
  <span> #mark1stwin </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> AT LAST. MARK HAS A BF </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eiffel tower:</b>
  <span> lmao hyuck ur the only single one left now </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> HEY :( </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eminem: </b>
  <span>we’re not dating :/</span>
</p><p>
  <b>cucumber:</b>
  <span> EXCUSE ME??</span>
</p><p>
  <b>eiffel tower:</b>
  <span> HUH</span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh: </b>
  <span>YESS SINGLE GANG </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> fr tho aww what happened :( </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eminem:</b>
  <span> idk i brought him ice cream at 2am and we kissed for a bit, he showed me his plants and then i went home </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> U DIDN’T HOOK UP? </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king xj:</b>
  <span> hyuck there’s more to life than hooking up</span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> shut up you have two dicks to suck and i have none :(( </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eiffel tower:</b>
  <span> who’s gonna tell him it’s bc i have two and hendery doesn’t have one </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eminem:</b>
  <span> sigh why do our conversations always end up like this </span>
</p><p>
  <b>cucumber:</b>
  <span> tea. i’m like a barbie doll there’s just nothing there </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king xj:</b>
  <span> sexy </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> I HATE IT HERE </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eminem:</b>
  <span> AGREE </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eminem:</b>
  <span> ANYWAY. what do i do, we didn’t talk about the kiss???? </span>
</p><p>
  <b>short king dh:</b>
  <span> uhhhh </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eiffel tower:</b>
  <span> talk to him?? </span>
</p><p>
  <b>eminem: </b>
  <span>nope too difficult, next </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The conversation continued in a similar way, and Mark was still left confused and a little upset - what if Taeyong didn’t want a relationship, or just kissed him because he was high? By the following Thursday his brain hurt from all the overthinking he’d been doing, and when his phone chimed with a text from Taeyong he felt even more conflicted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>hey guess who’s gonna be performing tomorrow night :oo </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, Mark’s first reaction was pure joy and excitement, Taeyong had been gone for what felt like months and Mark couldn’t wait to get back on stage with him. However, as he thought about it more, it sank in that he still didn’t know where they stood, and as Mark had learnt, anything could happen when they’re on stage together. Tears pricked at his eyes, and he wiped them away frantically. This was so stupid, he was supposed to be excited to see Taeyong again, but he was feeling so many things at once and wishing he knew how to put his swirl of emotions into words to just ask Taeyong what they were. He couldn’t blame anyone else for turning himself upside down, but every time he tried to type out a message to confront Taeyong he ended up deleting it and replying to him in their usual way. Since they texted constantly, if Taeyong had noticed something was up, he didn’t say anything, and Taeyong himself appeared not to be affected by that night at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He texted Donghyuck eventually, deciding he needed to talk this out with someone to help him calm down. Of course he was teasing at first, but when he saw how stressed out Mark was, he changed his tone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> aw Mark :( you can’t run away from this you need to talk to him about it </span>
</p><p>
  <b>mark:</b>
  <span> i’ve Tried, i just don’t know how to start the conversation </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie: </b>
  <span>it doesn’t matter how you start it, you just have to do it. just ask him if you can talk about what happened last week </span>
</p><p>
  <b>mark:</b>
  <span> but i’m scared :( what if he says he’s not interested and breaks my heart </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> you have to try though, wouldn’t you rather know for certain so you can stop worrying yourself to death? </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> we’re all scared of rejection, but the pain of loneliness and the pain of rejection both hurt the same so what have you got to lose? </span>
</p><p>
  <b>mark: </b>
  <span>……… i hate you </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie: </b>
  <span>WHY :((</span>
</p><p>
  <b>mark:</b>
  <span> bc you’re RIGHT, stop doing that &gt;:( </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> it’s true though!! plus idk if you’ve seen the way catboy looks at you but he’s so into you Mark it’s gross </span>
</p><p>
  <b>mark:</b>
  <span> hdsdsjds i’ve told you stop calling him catboy </span>
</p><p>
  <b>mark:</b>
  <span> but omg really???? </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> i will not. you tell me one time you’re into pet play, i never let you forget it, that’s how best friendship works :D</span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> and YES oh my god!!! if me, a gemini, can be observant enough to see it then it must be screamingly obvious to everyone else </span>
</p><p>
  <b>mark:</b>
  <span> …… shit </span>
</p><p>
  <b>mark:</b>
  <span> i want to be his boyfriend so bad hyuck :( but im a Coward </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> well now is the perfect time to change that! </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> WAIT </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> OMG IM A GENIUS </span>
</p><p>
  <b>mark:</b>
  <span> WHAT DID YOU DO </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> U SHOULD WRITE A SONG ABOUT HIM DUH </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> that’s what you do best right?? you always express yourself more in your music than any other time, so you should write a verse about how you feel and perform it tomorrow!! </span>
</p><p>
  <b>mark:</b>
  <span> bro….. ur Mind </span>
</p><p>
  <b>mark: </b>
  <span>YOUR MIND LEE DONGHYUCK </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> mwah what can i say i’m a genius </span>
</p><p>
  <b>mark:</b>
  <span> IM WRITING IT NOW SEE YOU IN AN HOUR WHEN IM DONE </span>
</p><p>
  <b>hyuckie:</b>
  <span> you’re welcome :]</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark poured his heart into his lyrics, he slaved over them for the rest of the night, making sure every word and pause was how he wanted it. Of course he didn’t use Taeyong’s name and made sure it was gender neutral like the rest of his songs, but hopefully Taeyong would know who it was really for. With new-found energy, he picked out his outfit for the following night, deciding on a black baseball cap, a deep red hoodie and skinny jeans. It was a signature look for him, he wanted to show Taeyong his true self, not his stage persona. He did throw a black pencil liner into his bag on a whim, still wanting to make an effort to look hot rather than just ‘okay’. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you on Sunday!” Mark called to his manager as he slipped into the employee bathroom. His shift ended late Friday evening, but Mark was quite glad that he’d be tight for time, since the dinner rush kept his mind busy from worrying about his performance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He checked his phone quickly before pulling his uniform off, his kit bag ready for him so he could change into the outfit he picked out. It was pretty late, and after factoring in traffic Mark worked out that he wouldn’t make it in time for all the setting up, he’d just have time to touch up his eyeliner and grab a microphone before he would have to get on stage. That suited him just fine, he’d rather be running late than be sitting in his dressing room worrying. As he made his way across the car park, he typed out a quick text to his groupchat letting his friends know when he would arrive, before throwing his phone onto the passenger seat of his car and driving to the club. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully the traffic was light, and Mark decided to use his spare few minutes to get to the side of the stage that was unofficially ‘his’ two songs too soon. He couldn’t face seeing Taeyong in the hallways before they were on stage, he didn’t know the rules of how they could act around each other while they were in limbo, so he chose to avoid him. Hendery placed a reassuring arm around Mark’s shoulder, giving him a small smile as they waited nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re rooting for you,” Xiaojun chimed in, Yukhei nodding earnestly in agreement beside him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You got this dude,” Hendery smiled, “Everything will work out in the end, I can feel it.” His words were a small comfort, soothing the rolling pit of anticipation in his stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hope you’re right,” he mumbled, kicking at a scuff mark on the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Trust me, I’ve got a sixth sense for this kind of thing.” They fell into silence, even talkative Donghyuck not knowing what to say to comfort Mark. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait long until the MC announced Mark and Taeyong’s song, and the screams of the crowd were deafening at the first mention of Taeyong’s name. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Deep breath,” Mark said to himself as he stepped forward, someone - most likely Donghyuck - tapping his ass supportively as he climbed the stage stairs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As always, Mark reached the top of the steps at the same time as Taeyong, Mark’s heart aching as he took in Taeyong’s sleek blond hair, Metallica shirt and ripped white jeans. Rings and bracelets adorned his fingers and slim wrists, and he looked so good it </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His legs didn’t feel like his own as Mark stepped forwards, holding eye contact with Taeyong as they passed each other, crossing the stage diagonally. Before Mark could turn around, Taeyong started rapping, and as his unforgettable voice punched through the speakers, Mark wished they had met for the first time since their first kiss in private. Taeyong rapped smoothly, his voice a little raspy and describing dreams of fast cars and money and fame. It was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>Taeyong.</span>
  </em>
  <span> This was why Mark fell for him, everything that made Taeyong himself was everything Mark wanted. But maybe all hope was lost, as the words that left the speakers talked about everything Taeyong wanted, and Mark wasn’t one of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark’s head spinning, he began his verse, going through the motions of reciting his carefully practised lyrics about wanting someone in a way that was more than friends, wanting a connection, someone to be there for him. He could feel Taeyong’s eyes on him but he didn’t dare look over, spitting out the final line of his verse about how “I’ve never needed anything as much as I need you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong continued, naming celebrities he wants to be his fans, cities he wants to have houses in, all while dancing to the slow, hazy beat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I keep wanting and wanting, more, more, more,” Taeyong continued, reaching the end of the verse, “but I can’t have all this to myself, want you to share it with me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whipping his head around, Mark was met with Taeyong looking straight at him, his gaze piercing but also longing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Was all Mark was able to think before he began his second and final verse, not able to take his eyes off Taeyong as he spilled out all of his feelings, his worries, his questions. It felt terrifying, but freeing at the same time, to be able to tell Taeyong all of this under the guise of their art, but only Taeyong knew the reason why Mark’s voice wobbled on the last line, tears in his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark had almost forgotten about the crowd until they erupted into screams and cheers, even chanting Taeyong’s name, who smiled sunnily and waved to their audience. Across the stage, they shared a smile as Taeyong was announced the winner that week, and the look in Taeyong’s eyes was uninterpretable. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was that?” Donghyuck yelled over the crowd as Mark jogged down the stairs. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I don’t know!” Mark replied, throwing his hands up in the air. His heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest and his stomach churned dangerously as the five of them snuck back down the hall to Mark’s room, Yukhei shutting the door behind them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did he seem mad?” Mark immediately asked, looking frantically between his friends. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I honestly can’t tell,” Xiaojun eventually replied, “But whatever is going on, you two need to sort it out right now.” Mark gulped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please,” Hendery laughed nervously, “at least for our sake talk this out so we don’t have to stop you having a heart attack.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say that, he looks like he might actually have one,” Yukhei warned, but not very seriously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Mark deadpanned. “What do I do now though? Do I just go home?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Donghyuck interjected, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>We’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> all going home, you’re staying here and talking your shit out. You can have the whole dressing room to yourself!” He smiled devilishly, and Mark ran a hand across his face, exhausted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine! Fine, I’ll do it right now, I can’t put it off any longer.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yukhei clapped him over the shoulder, “We knew you’d come to your senses eventually!” He grinned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I just had to go insane first,” Mark grumbled, accepting that this was really going to happen. He could do this. He was going to tell Taeyong how he felt, rejection or no rejection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hendery gathered up his belongings and left with Xiaojun and Yukhei, giving Mark a quick thumbs up on the way out of the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you not going with them?” Mark asked as Donghyuck remained perched on the arm of the couch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” he giggled, “I have a date, and I don’t want to be early and seem too eager, do I?” he waggled his eyebrows and Mark couldn’t help smiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“With Renjun? Wow, I hope it goes well!” He smiled sincerely, holding out his hand for a fist-bump. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Donghyuck smiled back, looking uncharacteristically nervous. “Well, I think that’s long enough,” he added within seconds, standing up to leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought you didn’t want to be too eager,” Mark laughed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donghyuck shrugged, “I’m whipped.” Mark laughed again as he left, Donghyuck leaving the door open as he went, an invitation for someone to come and visit Mark. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>p.s. the slow burn ends in the next chapter hehe :] </p><p> </p><p>Our Twitters: </p><p> </p><p>ash: <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/>bea: <a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>(“Fuck, why didn’t we do this sooner?” Mark panted, “You feel so fucking good, so good for me, Yong,” he babbled, gripping Taeyong’s hip tighter. </p><p>“I- mm! I don’t know,” Taeyong broke off into a whimper, “Can’t believe you're mine.”)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>........ don't look at me</p><p>this chapter is just pure filth but with ~~feelings~~ </p><p>we finally did it lads, markyong got their act together and worked all their feelings out!! 🥺 if you've been here since the beginning thank you so much for enjoying this little world we created, there's still more cuteness to come but this is basically the plot arc resolved! i really can't believe it, this fic has been so fulfilling to write and has brought me even closer to my best friend ash and we're still not done yet babeyyy </p><p>all that's left to say is i hope you enjoy :] </p><p>our twitters: </p><p>ash: <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/>bea: <a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mark couldn’t keep still, he would sit down only to immediately stand up again when he heard the slightest noise in the hallway. He kept taking his phone out of his pocket to ask Taeyong to come and see him, but put it away before he could open his messages. Heart pounding in his chest, every little thing made him jump, and he felt like crying from frustration when the soft knock on his open door finally came. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I come in?” Taeyong said meekly, stood timidly in the doorway like he would run away at any sudden movements. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Mark replied, voice quieter than he intended, “I feel like we need to… talk about this.” Taeyong stepped into Mark’s dressing room, briefly glancing around and Mark realised he’d never been in here before. He stood a few feet away from Mark, wringing his hands nervously. Mark knew he should say something, but there was so much to be said he couldn’t piece it all together to make sense. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-” He began, opening and shutting his mouth in multiple attempts to start his sentence. Taeyong only looked at him patiently, letting Mark get himself together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s true,” he eventually decided on, taking a deep breath when Taeyong tilted his head to the side in confusion. “What I said on stage today, i- it’s true.” Taeyong blinked at him again, not catching on, and so Mark said just what he’d wanted to say for the longest time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Taeyong, my lyrics were about you, I… really like you.” Mark’s heart was in his throat, he felt like he might throw up and his palms prickled with sweat, his pulse screaming in his ears. He couldn’t take it back now, he’d finally told the truth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong subconsciously parroted Mark, opening and shutting his mouth a few times before his face broke into a small smile, his eyes glistening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually… so were mine, I like you so much, Mark.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“......Wow,” Mark breathed. It was all he could think to say as he stood there, shocked, a little delirious, but so incredibly happy he didn’t know how he was supposed to express it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong didn’t let him stand there smiling dreamily for too long, as he stepped forwards and in a few quick strides he threw his arms around Mark’s neck and kissed him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time seemed to stand still as Mark wrapped Taeyong up in his arms, kissing him back just as strongly, but they were only able to exchange a few passionate kisses before Mark couldn’t stop himself breaking into a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m so happy!” Taeyong laughed, burying his head in Mark’s shoulder and giggling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me too,” Mark replied earnestly, “So you mean like, you wanna date?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong laughed again, louder this time, and Mark laughed too, Taeyong’s laugh adorable and infectious. “Yes that’s exactly what I mean.” Mark smiled so wide his cheeks ached, squeezing Taeyong in his arms. He could finally call Taeyong </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span>. So many thoughts flew through Mark’s head, how long he’d waited to have this moment where they were official. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m your boyfriend?” Mark asked, testing the word out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you wanna be?” Taeyong replied, his eyes narrowing sultrily. Just the look in his eyes had heat pooling in Mark’s stomach and his toes curling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck yeah,” he growled before cupping Taeyong’s cheek and pulling him in to press their lips together. The feeling of Taeyong’s lips on his own was addictive, and Mark was dying for a second taste, he could already tell he was going to be constantly kiss-starved, hooked on the way Taeyong kissed him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong’s reactions were even sweeter than their first kiss last week, and with all their feelings on the table, Mark could focus all his attention on kissing the life out of his boyfriend. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Boyfriend</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The word felt odd and new bouncing around his head, but it felt so, so right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fingers curled against Taeyong’s neck, Mark marvelled at how good of a kisser he was, doing all the things Mark loved. When slender fingers threaded into his hair, Mark melted into the touch, letting his mouth go slack for Taeyong to press his tongue against Mark’s before sucking gently on it, and the sensation made Mark’s eyes threaten to roll back, feeling his pants becoming insanely tight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pressing his fingers into Taeyong’s hip, he took Taeyong’s soft, pink bottom lip between his teeth and bit down gently, simultaneously pulling Taeyong closer so his crotch bumped against Mark’s hip. The gasp that Taeyong made sounded pornographic, and Mark held him even tighter, nosing down Taeyong’s dainty neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mark, </span>
  <em>
    <span>shit,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Taeyong keened as he mouthed over the tan skin, humming at the salt on his lips. “Someone might see us,” Taeyong whispered, “the door is wide open.” Reluctantly, Mark pulled his mouth off of Taeyong, but before he could move to close the door, Taeyong pushed him backwards, his eyes darkening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wha-” Mark began, Taeyong gently pushing him again until he lost his balance and toppled backwards onto the nearest surface behind him, which happened to be the bench inside the tiny changing cubicle. Mark watched Taeyong lock the door to the cubicle with wide eyes. There was hardly enough room to breathe with one person in there, and Taeyong stared down at him when he turned around, his back against the door but Mark’s knees almost bumping his. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come here,” Mark murmured, holding Taeyong’s wrist loosely and pulling him forwards until he got the hint and climbed into Mark’s lap, his knees coming to rest either side of Mark’s hips. They groaned in unison when Taeyong gingerly sat down and their hips pressed together, and Mark couldn’t stop himself from gripping Taeyong’s waist and leaning up to capture his lips in a kiss again. In this new position, their kisses quickly grew frantic, Taeyong letting out sweet little noises into Mark’s mouth, and it didn’t take long for Mark to find out that Taeyong loved it the most when he pressed slow, sloppy kisses underneath his jaw. Every kiss earned him the rocking of Taeyong’s crotch against his own, and Mark was quickly growing frustrated with their restrictive clothing, the slight brush of friction not enough for his painfully hard cock, neglected and weeping with precum. Taeyong’s fingers dug into his shoulder, grinding desperately against Mark’s clothed bulge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get out of here,” he murmured against Taeyong’s neck, who squirmed in his lap and nodded frantically. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cute.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong slid off his lap and threw the cubicle door open to tug Mark by the hand out of the building and into the car park. The cold wind hit Mark’s flushed face as they jogged to Mark’s car, hand in hand, praying no one would see them like this. Thankfully, the car park was empty, and Mark couldn’t help stealing a few more fiery kisses when they had scrambled into the car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My place?” Taeyong breathed, dropping his grip on Mark’s jacket to let him start the car. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Street lights flew by as Mark drove them there, one hand gripping Taeyong’s thigh and the needle on the speed limit the whole journey. Taeyong looked a little dazed by the time they parked outside his block, and Mark had to resist the strong urge to pin Taeyong down against his car bonnet, instead wrapping a protective arm around his waist and leading him inside the apartment building. Stealing glances at each other, Taeyong at least had the decency to wait until the elevator doors closed before pushing Mark up against the mirrored wall and pressing his tongue into Mark’s mouth. The door to the elevator pinged, and Taeyong leaned back, wiping his mouth coyly, before stepping out onto the landing, his keys jangling in his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His little sultry act didn’t last long though, as Mark felt Taeyong’s knees threaten to give out when he crowded him against the door, his hands on his hips and teeth around his pierced ear as Taeyong fumbled with the keys. It was adorable how much Taeyong wanted him, his body begging for Mark’s touch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Finish what you started,” Mark chuckled into Taeyong’s ear, noticing how he had stopped trying to open the front door and was pressing his ass back against him. Taeyong squeaked and turned the key, and Mark was so close to calling him a good boy. That could wait a few minutes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taking his hand again, lacing their fingers together, Taeyong began leading Mark towards the lounge area of his apartment, both of them discarding shoes and bags as they went, giggling in the dimly lit apartment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nuh uh,” Mark said when he realised where Taeyong was leading him, “I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> fucking you on the couch for our first time.” He began pulling Taeyong towards his bedroom, their joined hands causing Taeyong to spin round to face him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But that’s too far! I want you now!” He whined, and Mark was suddenly struck with an idea that he knew Taeyong would like. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s cute,” he began, bending down and wrapping his arms around Taeyong’s thighs, who squealed when Mark lifted him up, “But you deserve to be fucked properly, in a bed.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong made no protest about being carried, Mark being extra careful that he didn’t hit his head on the doorframe, and the obvious boner he was sporting when Mark dropped him down onto his bed made the strain so worth it. Eyes sparkling, Taeyong pulled his shirt over his head as Mark crawled over to him, and he didn’t waste any time running his hands over the soft expanse of skin jumping under his fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Off,” Taeyong mumbled between kisses, tugging weakly at the hem of Mark’s hoodie. Mark removed his hoodie and the shirt underneath for good measure, not having any time to think before Taeyong was sinking his teeth into his neck, sucking a hickey into the skin. Sucking in a breath, Mark rolled his hips against nothing, and as much as he loved hickies, if he didn’t get his dick inside Taeyong soon he was surely going to die. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He lost track of how many marks Taeyong gave him, his mouth was so fucking talented, leaving Mark panting and desperate by the time he was finished. He managed to sneak a quick glance at his chest, and Mark smiled when he saw the bruises littered across his skin, marking him as Taeyong’s. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God I need to fuck you,” he murmured, moving to unbuckle Taeyong’s pants. Batting his hands away, Taeyong got up to take them off himself, and Mark took the opportunity to finally rid himself of his own jeans. Taeyong climbed on top of him, and Mark felt like he’d been waiting a lifetime for the hot friction when he rocked his hips up to meet Taeyong’s steady grinding movements. He tipped his head back, squeezing Taeyong’s hips to bring him closer. Mark felt like he was on fire and he needed </span>
  <em>
    <span>more. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Thankfully, Taeyong was on the same wavelength, as it didn’t take long before he sat up to rummage through his bedside table and pushed a small bottle into Mark’s hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Raspberry?” Mark asked, glancing at the bottle of lube as Taeyong arranged himself lying against the pillows, pressing his thighs together sweetly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? I like it,” Taeyong giggled, and Mark crawled over to run his palm up Taeyong’s bare thigh, raising goosebumps as he went. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re adorable,” Mark smiled. He stole a few more kisses, feeling Taeyong’s body go lax against the sheets. Only then did he reach down to nudge Taeyong’s thighs apart and run his fingernails across his inner thighs, pulling small gasps and shivers out of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop </span>
  <em>
    <span>teasing,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Taeyong whined after Mark brushed </span>
  <em>
    <span>so close</span>
  </em>
  <span> to his cock for the nth time, his back arching. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, you’re just so pretty.” Their faces were only inches apart, Taeyong looking between his legs to watch Mark’s movements, and Mark got the perfect view of how he tossed his head back when Mark finally slid his palm over his clothed member. Mark stroked him a few times over his tiny boxers, marvelling at how he had been dreaming about fucking Taeyong for weeks, and now it was finally happening he was torn between taking his time or getting to the really good bit. Taeyong’s soft whine helped him make that decision, and he immediately pulled Taeyong’s underwear off, finally able to run his palms all over his naked body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re so fucking pretty, Yong,” he breathed, moving between his spread legs and trailing his hands up to thumb at his nipples, then down again to tease his thighs. The reactions every touch earned him were mesmerising, Taeyong twisting and gasping under him, but always pressing up into his hands for more. When he first let his thumb run across Taeyong’s hole, he arched impossibly high off the bed, whining impatiently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please,” Taeyong whispered, his voice so small. The tiny plea had Mark’s cock straining once again in his underwear, spurring him on to scramble for the lube, warming up a generous amount between his fingers before pushing Taeyong’s right leg up as far as it would go and running a slicked-up digit over him again. Mark wasted no time in pushing a finger carefully inside, Taeyong sighing happily and rocking his hips down for more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good?” He asked, trailing his gaze up from Taeyong perfect little ass, along his soft tummy and up from his hard nipples to his even prettier face, his mouth hanging open in pleasure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he breathed, making eye contact, “You look so hot when you’re concentrating.” The compliment caught Mark off guard, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m just trying to make you feel good, baby,” he replied honestly, Taeyong smirking at the pet name, letting his head drop back down onto the pillow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God, call me baby again and I’ll-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll what?” Mark interrupted, enjoying how Taeyong squirmed beneath him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as Taeyong opened his mouth to speak, Mark pushed a second finger inside him, and the expression on Taeyong’s face of being so caught off guard by pleasure was a sight he hoped he’d remember forever. Taeyong’s eyes rolled back into his head, a moan being punched out of him as Mark began working his fingers carefully in and out of his body. He tried to squeeze his thighs together, but Mark pushed his legs apart with his free hand, fucking Taeyong a little faster and curling his fingers with every thrust. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“F- </span>
  <em>
    <span>uck,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Taeyong moaned brokenly, clutching desperately at the pillow behind his head, and Mark couldn’t wait to fuck him properly. He changed his focus to stretching Taeyong open rather than fingerfucking him, scissoring his fingers and carefully adding a third when Taeyong felt relaxed enough to do so. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mark,” Taeyong croaked, sounding so fucked out already, “Wanna see you.” He nodded towards Mark’s underwear, and since Taeyong asked, he shimmied out of his boxer shorts, biting his lip when the cold air hit his dick. Taeyong made a small happy noise, reaching his own hand down to finger himself shallowly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh God, stop that,” Mark groaned, the sight of Taeyong laid out before him too much for any sane person. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Taeyong teased, biting his lip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because I wanna fuck you </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad.” He pulled Taeyong’s hand away, grabbing more lube. He leant over Taeyong to rummage for a condom in his bedside table, getting distracted when Taeyong slid his palms over his back, kissing his neck gently. Grabbing a condom in his size, he could finally turn his head to kiss Taeyong again, his fingernails scratching down Mark’s back as they made out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark sat up to tear the packet open, rolling the condom on as quickly as he could and throwing Taeyong’s right leg over his shoulder, so thankful for his flexibility. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ready?” He looked up at Taeyong, one of his hands curled around his cock and the other clutching the sheets. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck me,” he whispered, and that was all the confirmation Mark needed to line himself up and plunge the head of his cock into Taeyong’s wet heat. Their moans synchronized as Mark canted his hips gently, Taeyong impossibly tight around him and making Mark begin to worry he wouldn’t last long. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“More,” Taeyong groaned, his legs trembling where Mark held them open. Mark happily obliged, sinking in further and pushing garbled moans out of Taeyong. He squeezed his eyes shut when he finally bottomed out, panting and gripping Taeyong’s thighs like that would stop him from cumming just from being inside someone as beautiful as him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you feel?” He asked gently, still a little winded from just how good it felt with Taeyong hot and tight and clenching around him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong laughed breathlessly, “Feels so good Markie you- </span>
  <em>
    <span>ah!</span>
  </em>
  <span> You don’t even know.” A little drool slipped from his mouth, and Mark reached up to push it back past Taeyong’s lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So big,” he gasped around Mark’s thumb, sucking on it gently and running his tongue over the pad of it. Mark had never really considered his dick to be big, but he would admit he had girth, and when he took his thumb out of Taeyong’s mouth to feel where their bodies joined, it was no wonder he was so overwhelmed with the stretch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit,” he marvelled. “Can I move now?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“God, please,” Taeyong replied, sounding a little out of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark started out rocking his hips deep into Taeyong, pressing into him as far as his flexible hips would allow. It was so much to take in, Taeyong felt so good, and Mark almost wanted to cry because he was really having sex with his </span>
  <em>
    <span>boyfriend</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His heart swelled as he began to pull back further with each thrust, how did he get so lucky to make such an angel feel good? Taeyong reached out blindly, his eyebrows knitted together as the pace started to rock his entire body with every thrust, his hand searching for something, and when Mark laced their fingers together, Taeyong smiled softly through his whimpers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, why didn’t we do this sooner?” Mark panted, “You feel so fucking good, so good for me, Yong,” he babbled, gripping Taeyong’s hip tighter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I- </span>
  <em>
    <span>mm!</span>
  </em>
  <span> I don’t know,” Taeyong broke off into a whimper, “Can’t believe you're mine.” Mark felt his chest tighten at Taeyong’s words, he couldn’t believe it either. The immense pleasure he was in, Taeyong’s hole clenching around him and pulling him in deeper, made him feel all floaty and he leant down to bury his face in Taeyong’s neck, breathing in his intoxicating scent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Love being yours, angel,” he replied breathlessly, “all yours.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mine.” Taeyong scraped his fingernails across Mark’s scalp, his voice raspy in Mark’s ear and his pretty little ass taking his dick so well, the slide becoming smoother as he relaxed. Mark suddenly felt the urge to watch his cock disappear into Taeyong, he wanted to burn the image of Taeyong fucked out beneath him into the back of his eyelids. So he sat up and leant back on one hand, pistoning his hips into Taeyong and watching intently how his body swallowed up Mark’s cock over and over, his skin glistening with sweat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Baby,” Mark warned, feeling his muscles contract low in his abdomen, “I’m not gonna last long.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong hummed, his moans becoming sharper and louder as Mark snapped his hips, chasing his own high. He at least had the sense to wrap his hand around Taeyong’s cock, and he moaned because </span>
  <em>
    <span>every</span>
  </em>
  <span> part of Taeyong was so soft to the touch. Panting, Mark looked down at Taeyong’s wrecked body, writhing and arching against the mattress. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, yes,” he chanted, “Harder, Mark, </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Fuck me harder, please!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A moan that could only be described as a mewl was punched out of Mark at his boyfriend’s words, his mouth so sinful. Mark did as Taeyong begged of him, snapping his hips even harder, the force of his thrusts pushing Taeyong down into the mattress. He dropped onto his elbows to bracket Taeyong’s head, kissing him as best he could while fucking him ruthlessly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Something about the change of angle made Taeyong </span>
  <em>
    <span>scream,</span>
  </em>
  <span> hiccupping out endless moans and grabbing onto Mark’s shoulders as he plowed him into the bed, Mark tucking his face into Taeyong’s neck as he felt his orgasm building. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yong, baby, I’m- I’m gonna-” He broke off into a shameless moan as Taeyong dragged his fingernails down his back, probably leaving angry red marks in their wake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please, cum in me Mark, please,” Taeyong begged, his legs wrapping around Mark’s lower back to pull him in closer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With one final stuttering thrust, Mark pushed his hips forward as far as he could, tipping his head back with a loud moan as he came, his ears ringing and vision blacking out for a few seconds. As soon as he could see again, he used the last of the strength in his arms to work his hand over Taeyong, jerking him off slick and fast. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on angel,” he coaxed, already feeling drunk from his orgasm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mark,” he panted, clenching impossibly hard around him, “please, say my name?” He didn’t have to be told twice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cum for me, Taeyong,” he growled into his ear, making his voice as deep as he could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taeyong screamed Mark’s name as he came, and Mark didn’t give a shit if anyone else in the building heard him. He kissed Taeyong’s favourite spot under his jaw as he came down from his high, panting harshly and weakly pushing Mark’s hand away from his spent cock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was incredible,” Taeyong breathed, and Mark gently pushed his sweaty bangs off his forehead, running his fingers through Taeyong’s hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was,” he replied dumbly, “I could do that forever.” He smiled softly down at the boy he had spent so many hours of his life thinking about, and now they were finally together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me too, but let’s sleep first and then go again tomorrow,” Taeyong giggled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like your thinking,” Mark grinned back, before carefully pulling out of Taeyong with a wince. “Shower?” He padded to Taeyong’s ensuite bathroom to deal with the condom, offering his hand to help Taeyong up when he returned to the bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes please, it would be wrong to get into bed when we’re all sweaty.” Taeyong limped a little in the short distance it took them to get into the shower, so Mark took extra care to massage his lower back for him as they stood under the spray. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This feels so right, don’t you think?” Taeyong sighed. Mark paused his ministrations, letting his hands rest on the small of Taeyong’s back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The massage?” He felt Taeyong laugh in his arms, his fingers squeezing where his hands had been resting on his shoulders the whole time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, that too, but I meant us, being together.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mark didn’t need to think about his response. “Yeah, it does. I feel like we’re meant to be like this, not enemies.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly.” Mark felt warmth blossom in his chest, hugging Taeyong close for a few more moments before they finished up their shower. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is gonna be fun to explain in the morning,” Taeyong mumbled sleepily, slipping into bed next to Mark and tangling their legs together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mmm, we can deal with that tomorrow,” Mark replied, yawning. “For right now I just wanna cuddle.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now that I can take care of,” Taeyong giggled, throwing his arm over Mark’s waist. They fell into a comfortable silence, and the warmth and comfort of Taeyong’s body against his own made Mark’s eyes fall shut instantly. He briefly registered Taeyong placing a kiss on his cheek before he slipped out of consciousness.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Twitters:</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/glitterjungwoo">@glitterjungwoo</a><br/><a href="https://twitter.com/JENOXCX">@JENOXCX</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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